The key is to schedule a break before you need one, a) to make sure it happens, b) to avoid burnout, and c) so you’ll have it to look forward to. Here are five more tips to make the most of your time away, whether it’s an afternoon, a weekend, or something longer:

1. Don’t shoehorn your break between other time commitments. If you’re planning a weekend, for example, give yourself a cushion of at least a half-day on each side.
2. Jot down a few goals or ground rules to make the break what you need it to be (e.g., no answering work-related emails).
3. Take along a few items to spark your creativity—a favorite book, a journal, sketchpad, etc. Remember that nothing sparks creativity/creative problem-solving like spending time outdoors.
4. Prepare your next day’s work clothes before you leave, so you won’t have to do laundry as soon as you get back.

Finally, remember that even with people and activities you love, breaks serve a noble purpose. As a friend of mine’s mother used to say to her kids, “I need to go away so you can miss me.” And each time she came back, her children were thrilled to see her.

Your challenge this week: Schedule some down time. Even if you don’t think you need it, you’ll probably welcome it by the time it rolls around. Best time for a break: right after a major project or deadline.

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What if instead of muscling your way through, you simply made a few small shifts in your thinking? That’s often all it takes to create major breakthroughs. Here are the three fastest, most effective ways I know to get unstuck:

1. Figure out what’s no longer working, and stop doing it. How often do we do just the opposite—returning to places and activities that no longer suit us, simply out of habit, obligation or a litany of yeah, buts, also known as excuses? When getting stuck starts to feel normal, you must consciously break the cycle. Only when you let go of what isn’t working can you make room for something better.

2. Change your scenery. Instead of working all day at your desk, why not take an hour and head for your favorite coffee shop? Instead of spending your entire lunch hour indoors, why not build in a 15-minute walk? You get the idea. Even if your environment doesn’t give you free reign, you probably have more options than you realize.

3. Go play. Mental health and mental breakthroughs are enhanced by physical health, and physical health is maintained by keeping fitness fun. When’s the last time you saw anybody jogging and smiling at the same time—or smiling while obsessing over calories?

Your challenge this week: Have fun. There are two ways to do this: 1) Choose something fun: cooking, hiking, dancing, drawing, playing an instrument, playing air guitar, anything that takes you out of your normal element and makes you lose track of time. 2) Bring five percent more positive energy to everything you do. Both will boost your spirits — and if you were feeling stuck, you may find yourself suddenly free.

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Nothing worthwhile happens without struggle. None of us is exempt from human frailty. We all slip off track, we all say things we wish we hadn’t, we all overeat. (And if we don’t admit to these things, we have a much bigger problem!)

The key is not to water down our goals, but to learn from our setbacks, grieve them when necessary, and use what we’ve learned to get back on track more intelligently than before, and as quickly as possible. How? Simply take a deep breath and ask those six magic words: “Where do we go from here?”

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Does the criticism hold any truth or wisdom?

If the answer is yes, consider it a gift. Someone cared enough to want to see you improve, and now you have the means to do so. How the feedback was delivered is a whole separate issue. (Dr. Bernie Siegel likes to ask, “Are you polishing my mirror or scratching it?”)

If the feedback holds no truth, or if it says more about the person delivering it than it does about you, then stand your ground and just let the critic have his reaction, without trying to change it. Friendly reminder: You don’t have time—you’re on a mission. In the words of Fulton Sheen, “Dogs bay at the moon all night, but the moon gives back no snarl. It goes on shining.”

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1. Start early. When you give yourself enough time, dealing with the unexpected becomes much more manageable. Starting early also allows you to finish early, which lowers stress and might even give you more time for fun. Finally, by getting a head start, you automatically clear the biggest hurdle of all: procrastination.
2. Handle last-minute details first. For example, when leading a meeting, make sure your materials are well-organized and within easy reach. If you’re using technology, give yourself as much time as possible to set up your computer, queue up your presentation, test the speakers, and so on. This will add to your confidence and allow you to maintain clarity of purpose.
3. Focus on results. Few of us enjoy filing papers, for example, or flossing. But these chores become more pleasant when we focus on their benefits; in this case, a clean, functional workspace and a brilliant smile that lasts a lifetime. (Playing your favorite music also helps.)

Finally, since there’s more to life than finishing to-do items, put something on your calendar this week that’s rewarding/fun–something that won’t happen unless you make it happen. Then be sure to share your victory in the comments section below, so that I and your fellow Pep-Talkers can offer you our highest high fives!

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Here’s the irony: As best I can tell, the expression “go-giver” comes from a man named Peter Maurin, who out of devotion to something greater than himself, embraced a life of poverty.

The most generous, most memorable humanitarians in history, from Gandhi to Elie Wiesel to Mother Teresa, weren’t seeking prosperity, good feelings, or any other reward. Even out of the most unimaginable suffering, they gave because they felt called, even compelled to give. In the process, their lives became incomparably meaningful.

So may it be said of us all—that we gave our lives to something bigger than ourselves, and that our reward was a joy far beyond mere success.

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Yet notice how much of our worldview ultimately comes down to one of two emotions: joy or fear. In the words of Horace Kallen, the early-20th century American philosopher, “There are persons who shape their lives by the fear of death, and persons who shape their lives by the joy of life. The former live dying, the latter die living.”

Making joy our motor is a choice. I also think it’s a responsibility, because life is the ultimate gift. When you reach the end of this week, will you look back and find that you truly lived it—and lived it well? Resolve now to make it a yes.

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But as you know from achieving your own tough goals, the greatest rewards are often intangible: the unexpected breakthroughs, the fresh insights, the sheer optimism. I met someone recently who, after quitting smoking, described his exuberance at having given himself a second chance at life.

As we head into the final week of March, why not take 30 minutes to jot down all your aspirations for the second quarter of 2012, and commit to the one to three areas that will make the greatest difference—maybe all the difference? Those unexpected breakthroughs may be just a decision away.

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Start by focusing on your vision (e.g., enjoying a peaceful start to the day instead of scrambling for something to wear, or sailing through your afternoon instead of feeling sleepy after lunch). Then, as much as you can, execute around that vision. That is, figure out which activities you need to eliminate and which ones you need to add in order to bring about your intended results.

Here’s the key: Block out time to make these steps happen, and give yourself a cushion of time to allow for the unexpected. Finally, be patient with yourself. New habits take time—but the rewards can last a lifetime.

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1. Acknowledge when a tough decision is necessary. Maybe it’s firing an employee, setting a much-needed boundary with a loved one, or restructuring your organization. Whatever it is, set aside for a moment how it feels, and simply ask yourself, “Is this ultimately the right thing to do?” If the answer is yes, resolve to make it happen, without waffling.

2. Convey your decision with kindness and class. Let this principle inform your timing, your tone, your mode of communication, and of course the other person’s sensibilities. For example, is it really necessary to fire Clara on her birthday? The thing is, if you rob Clara of her humanity, you rob yourself at the same time. So always take the high road.

3. Let others have their reaction. You can’t control other people’s reaction, nor should you try. Resist the temptation to minimize other folks’ responses, or to talk them out of how they feel. It only creates more friction.

Bottom line: Life doesn’t always tickle. But don’t let that stop you from making tough but necessary decisions. Your breathing will change. You’ll smile more. You may even catch yourself dancing a little. Most of all, you might wonder why it took you so long to do what needed to be done.

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