Part of having a caring mindset is being thoughtful.

And you can’t be thoughtful if you’re overextended or overcommitted.

When I need to recharge my batteries, I usually go for a long walk. Sometimes by myself, sometimes with one of my kids. I always end up feeling refreshed and reenergized when I return.

It’s critical that you’re passionate about what you do—otherwise, what’s the point?

However, there’s a difference between passion and obsession. Let me explain.

A CEO I was consulting with was the classic overachiever—which included making everyone else around him miserable as a result. Ironically, everyone’s productivity was suffering, including his own.

I decided to take a different approach with this guy.

When I sat down in his office for our first meeting, I noticed some photos of his kids behind his desk.

I asked him about them and got a curt response in return. This guy was all business. I persisted.

I asked him about the last time he had spoken with them.

He flippantly told me couldn’t remember, and made it clear I wasn’t being paid for family counseling.

At that point, I informed him our meeting was ending because I wanted him to spend the rest of our scheduled hour reconnecting with his children. I told him the time we had spent together was gratis if he would call his kids.

To make a long story, short: The CEO cancelled our next scheduled meeting. Not because he was angry, but because he and his kids reconnected and ended up spending a week at a cabin creating memories a recharging.

When I saw him for our rescheduled meeting, he looked like a new man—excited, invigorated, smiling.

I told him a lot of other people in the organization were feeling the same way—those folks also needed to recharge.

Being thoughtful means taking an interest in yourself, your family, your employees. You need to take a step back, so you can move forward.