When “Doing Nothing” Doesn’t Go as Planned: A Lesson in Disconnecting
I made a commitment to do no work this week. But sometimes life tests those commitments.
My son and I chose an early flight on purpose. The plan was simple: get there early so we’d have time to pick up the rental car, grab dinner, and make it to a Zach Bryan concert that night.
Everything was timed perfectly. We arrived at the airport at 5:30 a.m. for our 7:30 a.m. flight.
Then the delay hit. The flight that was supposed to get us there quickly didn’t leave until 1:00 p.m. What was supposed to be about four hours of travel turned into nearly twelve.
So there we were:
Laptop in my bag.
Airport Wi-Fi barely working.
Exhausted.
No real place to sleep.
My college-age son? He handled it far better than I did. He stretched out on the airport floor and fell asleep, completely at peace.
Meanwhile, my brain started whispering: “Well… you could just get some work done.”
My Original Plan
I had actually planned to use the airport time to keep writing my next book. It felt like the perfect quiet window to make progress. But the airport had other plans.
The Wi-Fi was terrible. Nothing would load. Writing tools wouldn’t cooperate.
Sometimes the universe makes the decision for you.
And Then Something Better Happened
That four-hour travel day turned into twelve hours. And it gave me something I didn’t expect.
Time with my son.
Real, unhurried time I haven’t had since he left for college last August.
No schedules.
No rushing.
No distractions.
Just conversations, laughter, and quiet moments in between. Sometimes the delays we hate end up giving us exactly what we need.
Disconnecting Is Harder Than We Think
Even when we truly need the break, unplugging isn’t easy.
Research shows:
About 68% of people work during vacation
More than half struggle to fully unplug
Many of us want stronger self-care boundaries. But stepping away from work can feel uncomfortable. Almost like we’re doing something wrong.
But Real Rest Matters
When we actually disconnect, something powerful happens:
Clearer thinking
More patience
More creativity
More presence
Rest changes how we show up, at work and in life.
So Instead of Working… Here’s What I Did
While my son slept peacefully on the airport floor, I tried something different.
I slowed down. I people-watched. We talked. I reflected.
And eventually, I started writing a few thoughts the old-fashioned way.
A Cool Unexpected Moment
One of the coolest parts of the delay?
The chapter I ended up writing at the airport included contributions from my son.
This next book is about lessons my trio learned from the high school hustle — the experiences, challenges, and growth that shaped them.
Pausing gives you space to think.
And sometimes delays teach us things we wouldn’t have learned if everything had gone exactly as planned.