Sharpening the Saw: A New Year Reset
By Salvador Ontiveros
Welcome back from holiday break. I hope you had a restful, meaningful time with family and friends.
I often tell my staff: the best thing we can do for our families—and for the clients we serve—is to first take care of ourselves. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is a simple motto, and as a leader, I will admit I do not always follow it as well as I should.
This year, I tried something different. For the first time, I unapologetically “rotted” on my couch for two weeks. I still cooked tamales. I spent real time with my growing boys—three teenagers now—and with my wife and friends. But I had one goal during the holidays: to sit, and not think, worry, or try to predict the next crisis. I wanted to rest without guilt. And for the most part, I did.
Leaders can struggle to enjoy time off. We feel the need to always be on, always available, always ready to solve the next problem. The inner dialogue is familiar: “If I don’t do it, no one will,” or “No one can do it the way I want.” Maybe that sense of responsibility is part of what makes leaders effective. We accept the weight of guiding an institution, a business, or an organization—along with its staff, partners, and board. But that weight can also come with a constant low-level anxiety: the feeling that things could fall apart at any moment, even when most of the time, they do not. We carry the worry anyway.
That is one reason I value Rotary Club 29 so much.
I will be the first to admit I am a long way from the impressive perfect attendance streaks some of our members have achieved. I heard that one Rotary “hero” has maintained perfect attendance for 50 years. If that is true, it is remarkable. I have a lot of respect for that kind of consistency—and yes, I aspire to get closer to it.
For me, Rotary has become a midweek reset. In the middle of a demanding schedule, it gives me one hour to step out of the hustle and reconnect with people who understand what it means to lead. We share a meal. We learn from great speakers. We get to know each other beyond job titles. And every week, without exception, I’m met with warmth. No one is rude or unwelcoming. People are glad to be there. That matters more than we sometimes realize.
Stephen Covey’s Habit 7 is “Sharpen the Saw.” Rotary helps me do that. I leave with a new idea, a story worth repeating, or a fresh perspective I can take back to my work and my family. And I’m proud to be part of an organization that openly and consistently gives back to the community we call home.
Here’s to 2026. May it be a year of meaningful success, lessons learned the hard way, deeper relationships with family and friends, and a life full of purpose and joy.
Sal, thank you for sharing these great thoughts. You are a great leader and becoming greater!
Salvador,
You hit the nail on the head with this post. I think for all leaders, especially in the nonprofit field, we get in a habit of taking care of all the moving parts, insisting that our staff take time to regenerate and relax and then turn around and totally fall short in giving ourselves that same grace. As you’ve heard from flight attendants “put your oxygen mask on first before attempting to help others”, we need to make sure that we, as leaders, are taking care of ourselves so that we can continue to take care of everything and everyone else. Thanks for this reminder!
Love your commitment to “rotting” over the Holidays. I too find this difficult – it seems wrong and I feel guilty. But I did a good job relaxing during the “snow week” and it felt fantastic!