Taking Time Out

One of the things that is so engrained in our heads is to “keep your eye on the prize and keep moving towards it.”  Overall, I take no exception to this philosophy; indeed keeping your sights on what you’re aiming towards can keep you moving forward when nothing else can.  That being said, there is something to be said for taking a time out every so often.  Why?  Because the goal that you’re heading towards can shift and morph as time goes on.  Let me explain.

At the time that you set a goal, it may seem crystally clear to you.  You may very well have a solid sense of what you’re heading toward, what it looks like, what it will feel like when achieved and how your life will be different.  So you dive into the water, so to speak, and start swimming for the coveted goal.  If you don’t periodically come up for air, however, you may inadvertently go off course, or your goal itself may shift a few feet one way or the other unbeknownst to you.  And because you’re still swimming for what you believe is the goal, you’ll end up losing it altogether.  So, time outs — or “goal check-ins” — are actually a pivotal piece of the goal-achievement game.  It’s the only way to be sure that what you’re heading towards still exists, still looks the way you want it to, and still fits with your life’s plan.

Sometimes, these time outs can be taken voluntarily.  Indeed, this is probably the most desireable way to check in.  At other times, however, it’s as though life itself wants you to take a break and re-evaluate.  An unforseen obstacle arises, a glitch in the plan takes place — hwatever it may be, while it seems irritating in the moment, it’s actually a golden opportunity for you to take a “time out” and check in on the goal itself.  Then you can recalibrate and adjust your path as needed, and set off again.

Bottom-line:  the act of taking a time out, especially when you’re heading toward a goal of any sort is a vital part of the process.  When you yourself haven’t checked in in a while, the universe may well throw a curve ball your way, just to get you to do so.  Either way, taking the time to reevaluate will serve you well, and make the achievement of your goal, whatever it may be, that much sweeter.  So stop , time out, and then move onward and upward.