If you are a go-go-go person like me, it may seem to you as though “stop” has joined the ranks of a bad, four-letter word. In today’s society, we have been programmed to keep running, keep making, keep selling, keep pushing—no matter what. Keep doing, doing, doing.
Au contraire . . . STOP!
There is immeasurable value in taking this simple freeze-stay reprieve on a regular basis, both mentally and physically—and to the overall health of an organization.
“Stop!”is about where you are now and what you have within your arsenal of reach. I repeat again: What do you have? Stopping is about assimilating the components around you and recognizing their context, to allow progress within the organization.
Firstly, give yourself a break. Allow your muscles to relax, let your emotions rest. Permit your spirit and brain to take a breather. Now, in the same way, give your business a break. Yes, you read that right: give your business a break.
It is okay to pause, and, for this moment, put other tasks aside. Realize this is not about putting your entire business on hold, but rather about reallocating essential priorities as the foundation of a bigger future.
Consider any retail store. Every month, quarter or, for smaller businesses, at the very least, every year, they do an inventory assessment. During this time, employees are taken away from their regular roles and allocate their time to the counting. Essentially, they stop what they normally do to run inventory. This is the same concept.
I need you to appreciate the difference between stopping and quitting. Stopping is not the same as quitting. Quitting actively bars the future. Quitting entails actions (either conscious or subconscious) that prohibit you from ever taking this path again. In contrast, “stopping” is merely a pause that allows you to look around for safety, to refuel, to realign, or to hibernate—until it is the right time to start again. Stopping allows you to rest. Stopping allows you to go. And, when you go, you can move in any direction and with any speed that suits the circumstances and abilities you have at that time.
I would like to give you permission to STOP!
So, You’ve Hit the Pause Button…Now What?
1. Review your calendar for today, tomorrow and the next week. Where does everything fit? Does it even fit? Jot a very brief list of what you might need in preparation for some of the activities you have scheduled.
2. Pick two of your best activities in the past week and consider what made them so successful and/or enjoyable. Create a quick bridge – can you repeat this success and/or re-apply at least one tip to another project you’re working on.
3. What are the top skills of three people around you? With what they are doing now, are they able to maximize the use of this talents?
There are many other aspects within your business where you can take that break to reconvene your thoughts. This moment of introspection is invaluable. You’ll find incredible results just by applying this STOP component to your life. In fact, you’ll see an incredible surge of progress once you do.
Dr. Ingrid Pyka is an executive business consultant that has helped companies and entrepreneurs find success in their goals, guiding them through millions of dollars in increased revenues. If you would like to book Ingrid to keynote your next event, contact ingrid@ingridpyka.com.
