Pit Stops Win Races (2 Min Read) | Vol. 229

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November 13, 2026

“Stress + rest = growth.” – Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness

Pit Stops Win Races

Last month, I was in Montana at a retreat called The Refuge. Its mission is to keep busy leaders from burning out. Michael Hyatt had invited me and a baker’s dozen of other leaders to fly fish and relax. Some ran companies with over $100 million in revenue. Others led a small team of volunteers or a congregation. We all had one thing in common. We rarely slow down.

Over dinner, Daniel Tardy kicked off our discussion with a question – “How often do you change your tires?”

“Every 40,000 or 50,000 miles?” one guy said. He said it with a question mark because, like me, he didn’t really know. 

“That’s right,” Daniel, an actual car guy, confirmed. “Now how often does a NASCAR driver change theirs?” 

He paused for effect. “Every 50 or so laps.”

Daniel built EntreLeadership from the ground up. He’s spent his career talking with leaders. And he wasn’t really talking about cars. “You’re not everyday drivers. You’re not just going to the grocery store,” he told us. “You’re on the track every day.”

Drive on worn tires long enough, and you get a blowout.

The unfortunate truth is the people who need pit stops the most take them the least. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 54% of managers say they take less time off than they’re offered. For everyone else, it’s 42%. The people setting the pace are running on the thinnest tread.

No one wins a long race without stopping. The pit stop is how you go faster for longer. Fresh tires. Full tank. Back on the track.

So build your pit stops into the calendar. Every other week, take a half day. Every month, take a Friday. Every quarter, take a long weekend. Every year, take at least one real week. Start wherever you are.

I felt like Daniel was talking directly to me. I take vacations. But after about 10 days, I’m the driver in the pit lane drumming the steering wheel and wondering what’s taking the crew so long. And I know better. I always come back with more ideas and more gas in the tank.

Wendy and I start every goal-setting retreat the same way. Before we dive into business goals, we plan our time off. 

Here’s my challenge. Before next Friday, block a half day off. Then tell someone. Your spouse. Your team. Your assistant. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be on the calendar.

Pit stops don’t slow you down. They’re how you win the race.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: When is my next pit stop, and is it on my calendar?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Author | CEO | Coach