RHYTHMS OF REST℠ Leadership Podcast

Episode 9: You're Not Burned Out From Too Much Work (You're Burned Out From the Wrong Rhythm)

You've tried the menu. Exercise. Meditation. The morning routine. More time off. And somehow you keep ending up back on the same floor. This episode is about why — and what the last twenty years finally taught Kent that no one in the wellness industry has been willing to say out loud. What You'll Learn: * Why "balance" is a borrowed physics metaphor that has never described how a human life actually works * How to identify which of the four rhythms — Relational, Emotional, Spiritual, or Tangible — is dragging the other three down right now * The one keystone change that moves everything else downstream (without a five-pillar overhaul) * Why most burnout isn't caused by too much work — and what it's actually caused by * Why calling it "self-care" keeps you stuck inside the frame that already failed you Key Quote: "Most people think they're burned out from too much work. They're actually burned out from the wrong rhythm." Episode Highlights: * Kent's nervous breakdown at 27 — face down on the kitchen floor, supposed to be heading to a leadership conference, no idea why it was happening * The trillion-dollar wellness industry data point that lands like a gut punch: more investment, more burnout * The "close your eyes" exercise that exposes exactly why balance will never work * The story of a business owner who went from 12–15 hour days to 1–2 hours — without sacrificing results * Daniel in Babylon: a 2,500-year-old case study in keeping your own rhythms under pressure Take the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT The RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT will tell you which of your four rhythms is breaking down and give you one move to make this week. Not next quarter. This week. Five minutes. Free.  👉 kentmurawski.com/restassessment [http://kentmurawski.com/restassessment]  Subscribe to the Newsletter If the calendar is full but the energy is not, the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT will tell you exactly which of your four rhythms is most out of sync and give you the order of operations to fix it. Five minutes. Free. Results in your inbox. KentMurawski.com/assessment [http://KentMurawski.com/assessment].  👉 kentmurawski.com/newsletter [http://kentmurawski.com/newsletter]  Connect on Social  Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentmurawski [https://instagram.com/kentmurawski]  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski [https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski [https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski] Podcast/social media editor: @murawskifilms on instagram

Episode 8: If You Feel Like Slowing Down Means Falling Behind… This Will Change Your Mind

The Rhythms of REST guy is officially fried. And he's recording this episode anyway — because what's happening to him right now is probably happening to you, too. This episode is about what burnout, a bedroom floor in Cambridge, and one business owner's Friday experiment taught Kent about slowing down without losing what matters. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why slowing down in summer actually increases momentum instead of killing it * How to identify the three places in your calendar where you're scheduled against the season * What the Spiritual and Tangible rhythms have to do with why you can't let go of control * The three R's for summer — Rethink, Re-evaluate, Ruthlessly Eliminate — and how to use them practically * Why rest is preparation, not quitting (and the Roger Bannister story that proves it) KEY QUOTE FROM THE EPISODE "You don't have to understand or control everything to live and lead from a place of rest." EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * Kent shares the real-time signs he was heading toward burnout — and why by the time you feel it, you're already further along than you think * Tim Ferriss removed himself from the bottleneck and profits went up 40% — Kent breaks down why this matters for how you approach summer * The Wednesday afternoon in 2014 that rewired how Kent thinks about control, outcomes, and rest * Coaching client Jesh took Fridays off all summer — and hit his annual revenue goal six months early * Your Rhythms Check: one calendar adjustment in the next 24-48 hours that costs less than you think TAKE THE RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT The RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT will tell you which of your four rhythms is breaking down and give you one move to make this week. Not next quarter. This week. Five minutes. Free. 👉 kentmurawski.com/restassessment [http://kentmurawski.com/restassessment] SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER If the calendar is full but the energy is not, the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT will tell you exactly which of your four rhythms is most out of sync and give you the order of operations to fix it. Five minutes. Free. Results in your inbox. KentMurawski.com/assessment [http://KentMurawski.com/assessment].  👉 kentmurawski.com/newsletter [http://kentmurawski.com/newsletter] CONNECT ON SOCIAL Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentmurawski [https://instagram.com/kentmurawski] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski [https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski] X: https://x.com/kentmurawski [https://x.com/kentmurawski] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski [https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski] Podcast and social media edited and managed by Kole Murawski. Instagram: @Murawskifilms

Episode 7: Why I Refuse to Let AI Write My Newsletter — Even When I'm Drowning

You have rules about AI. What nobody warned you about is that the hardest part isn't enforcing them with the tool — it's enforcing them with yourself. This episode is about the temptation to hand AI the things that were never supposed to leave your hands, and what it quietly costs you when you do. What You'll Learn * Why "keeping AI in its lane" breaks down when you're tired, overwhelmed, and behind — and what that moment is actually telling you * How to use AI to reclaim 4–8 hours a week without giving up your voice, your thinking, or your integrity * The one thing AI will never be, no matter how advanced it gets * How your Tangible and Relational Rhythms reveal exactly where AI helps — and where it harms * Why overwhelm isn't a productivity problem — it's a signal worth listening to Key Quote from the Episode "My integrity is worth more than a deadline." — Kent Murawski Episode Highlights * Kent's real confession: the temptation to let AI write his newsletter — even when he knows better * Scott Galloway's gut-punch line: AI isn't taking your job — someone who understands it will * The two decisions about AI that hold up under real pressure, not just in theory * AI fatigue is real — and what human connection gives you that no tool ever will * Where Tangible and Relational Rhythms intersect, and why that line matters more than any productivity hack Free Resource — Build a Claude Project That Actually Works Kent's free step-by-step guide to setting up a Claude Project that knows your context, runs on your instructions, and saves you 4+ hours a week. 👉 https://kentmurawski.kit.com/00d50c35bf [https://kentmurawski.kit.com/00d50c35bf] Take the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT Discover where you are on the burnout scale — from thriving to critical. Takes less than 5 minutes. 👉 kentmurawski.com/restassessment [http://kentmurawski.com/restassessment] Subscribe to the Newsletter Bi-weekly insights to help you lead from rest, not burnout. No fluff — just practical tools. 👉 kentmurawski.com/newsletter [http://kentmurawski.com/newsletter] If you want to put any of this into practice, I've built a free step-by-step guide on how to set up a Claude Project that actually works—one that knows your context, runs on your instructions, and doesn't start from scratch every time: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18lp8bC-H9JoaaRrjjoVrEkC3x3kH3CFb/view?usp=sharing [https://drive.google.com/file/d/18lp8bC-H9JoaaRrjjoVrEkC3x3kH3CFb/view?usp=sharing] Connect on Social Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentmurawski [https://instagram.com/kentmurawski] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski [https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski] X: https://x.com/kentmurawski [https://x.com/kentmurawski] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski [https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski] podcast and social media edited and managed by Kole Murawski. Instagram: @Murawskifilms

Episode 6: Why You Feel Exhausted After a "Day Off" (And What Actually Replenishes You)

Ever finish a "day off" more drained than when you started? Most driven leaders confuse rest with inactivity — and it leaves them more depleted, not less. In this episode, I unpack why "doing nothing" backfires for high-capacity leaders and what actually replenishes you. What You'll Learn: • Why your "day off" leaves you more tired — and what actually refills you • How to identify the keystone rhythms inside your Emotional and Spiritual life • A Heschel-inspired test to design rest that actually works • The hidden cost of letting fear and anxiety drive your day off • How to protect a weekly rhythm of rest without losing momentum Key Quote: "Rest is active replenishment. It's doing the opposite of the thing that drains you all week." Episode Highlights: • I break my own rule and open the laptop out of fear — then catch myself • Why propagating plants quieted my mind when strategy couldn't • The Heschel principle that reframes Sabbath for modern leaders: if you work with your mind, rest with your hands • Where Emotional rhythms (fun and hobbies) and Spiritual rhythms (a weekly day of rest) intersect • A 24–48 hour action step to schedule one replenishing activity this week • The reflection question every driven leader needs to sit with: What are you avoiding by staying productive? Take the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT Discover where you are on the burnout scale — from thriving to critical. Takes less than 5 minutes. 👉 kentmurawski.com/restassessment [http://kentmurawski.com/restassessment] Subscribe to the Newsletter Bi-weekly insights to help you lead from rest, not burnout. No fluff — just practical tools. 👉 kentmurawski.com/newsletter [http://kentmurawski.com/newsletter] Connect on Social Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentmurawski [https://instagram.com/kentmurawski] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski [https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski] X: https://x.com/kentmurawski [https://x.com/kentmurawski] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski [https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski]

Episode 5: What to Do When You're Doing Everything Right and Still Drowning

You're doing everything right — and still feel like you're underwater. In this deeply personal episode, Kent opens up about his own season of sadness, anger, and overwhelm, and shares the three anchors that held him steady when his usual strategies stopped working. What You'll Learn: * How to keep moving forward when your go-to rhythms aren't cutting it * Why your anchor routines matter most on the days you feel like skipping them * How treating your emotions like people — not problems — unlocks what they're actually trying to tell you * The 90-second rule that changes how you handle emotional overwhelm * When "pushing through" is the answer — and when it's making things worse Key Quote from the Episode: "Sometimes the most spiritual, most productive, most courageous thing you can do is the next boring thing in front of you." Episode Highlights: * Kent's raw confession about feeling sad, angry, and overwhelmed — and what happened the Wednesday it all hit * The "chop wood, carry water" principle: why transformation hides in the mundane * How Kent's patella tendon rupture stripped away nearly every rhythm — and which one carried him through * Why seasons have a beginning and an end, and if yours doesn't, it's not a season — it's a lifestyle * The difference between letting emotions rule you and letting them speak to you Take the RHYTHMS OF REST ASSESSMENT. Discover where you are on the burnout scale — from thriving to critical. Takes less than 5 minutes.  👉 kentmurawski.com/restassessment [http://kentmurawski.com/restassessment] Subscribe to the Newsletter Bi-weekly insights to help you lead from rest, not burnout. No fluff — just practical tools.  👉 kentmurawski.com/newsletter [http://kentmurawski.com/newsletter] Connect on Social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmurawski]   Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentmurawski [https://instagram.com/kentmurawski]  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski [https://www.facebook.com/kentmurawski]   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski [https://www.youtube.com/@KentMurawski]