Take a Step…Back

Do you often feel as though you can’t move fast enough? Too much to do and not enough hours in the day, right?

We can get so caught up in our “To Do” lists that we barely breathe, and that’s never good. Sometimes we propel ourselves forward by first, stepping back. So, how does this work?

Stop for a moment and consider all the things you’d like to accomplish, today. From the moment your alarm goes off and your feet hit the floor, it’s a race to get it all in. At some point, take a step back by thinking about the action you are stepping into. Is it a good idea? Could you make a wiser choice? Is what you are doing worth your time?

Examples:

*You know you feel better and are more efficient when you have breakfast. However, you tell yourself you simply don’t have 10 minutes to make a protein smoothie or cook a couple eggs.

*You see that the evening is packed with kids going in several directions, you have a meeting, and your personal chef called off for the year. You saw this craziness coming at you like a freight train early in the week and it is the perfect day to toss a chicken or pot roast in the crock pot. You never made it to the grocery and now you don’t have anything to make for dinner.

*You’ve been burning both ends of the candle and have not gotten proper rest for weeks. Everyone at work and in your social circle is sick. No time for sleep, or so you think. You are invincible, so not to worry.

*You’re going through the drive-thru because you’re starving and you don’t have many options. Would you like a drink with that hamburger and fries?

*There has not been meaningful conversation with your spouse for…a very long time because you are always on the go.

In every case, if we stop, breathe, step back and think for a moment, we can make what appears to be a crummy situation a bit better. Grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts or even a nut butter sandwich as you run out the door; pick up some food from one of the hot food bars or a rotisserie chicken at a local grocery; go to bed thirty minutes earlier; if you must have the burger and fries, drink water, add tomato and lots of lettuce to the burger, and don’t supersize anything. Maybe even skip those fries; Go on a date!

Practice stepping back from habits that don’t serve you—the ones that keep you stuck. When you do this one small step at a time, it adds up. Eventually you will find yourself in a different place that, in the past, seemed impossible to reach.

“Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.” –Dr. Seuss