Push or Pause?
Sheri Lynn Fella
Thank goodness that ol’ groundhog saw its shadow. I sure hope spring is on its way as I literally cheered the sight of the sun via its rise this morning. Driving into the IND - Indianapolis airport - I not only cheered the sunrise, but I also cheered my decision to start my 2024 travel this month vs. January.
At the end of 2023 I crawled to the finish line of the 4th quarter. I had felt the drag of my own choice to keep pushing myself throughout the year and by mid-December my whole being was making me feel the impact of all my “yes - let’s go's". I lost my voice for the first time in my life and lost the ability to consistently sleep for several months. I suffered through the upper respiratory illness that was passed around the Midwest for almost 4 weeks to end and start the year. I was wrung out physically and emotionally, and I knew if I wasn’t at my best, I wasn’t offering my best to anyone. So, I grounded myself until the first week of February.
When I stepped into the main concourse at IND I was greeted by two new awesome additions - the IU trident (Go Hoosiers!) and the Pacers basketball court welcoming all to the NBA All-Star events later this month. The IU trident stands on a foundation that says, “Bring on Tomorrow” - that felt right! The full-length court in the atrium reflected the morning light of the day. Much needed sun and light that we have had little of here in the Midwest in the month prior - so, this also felt right! I absolutely made the right decision to focus on my own wellness in January and arrive here today. Pausing instead of pushing through was the right choice for me.
I have been exploring this pause vs. push choice in all my client spaces this month. There is excitement at the beginning of the year to start running - literally! Join a gym. Lose weight. Set big goals. Create a new you. Learn that second language. And on and on. And hey if those work for you - go for it! And if it doesn’t, I hope you pause. Maybe a possible new goal for you is less...less pushing, less running, less “new”, more “old”… more steady state. Continuous improvement isn’t sustainable every day, all year long and year after year.
I love growth like nobody’s business, and sometimes growth looks like shedding vs. accumulating. Sometimes it looks like pausing, not pushing.
Pausing for me was critical. There is certainly a time for the “push”, and for me in 2024 the push is going to be the exception, not the norm. I am going to focus on pausing, doubling down on my presence, my intention. Having closed January, I already see a multitude of ROI on that investment in my own well-being. One, I feel ready today which means I am energized and at ease with the travel and challenge ahead, which means I am set up for success to deliver high impact results for my clients and for me. Two, the practices I put in place for my wellness have become habits and those habits felt natural as I take my choices on the road where lots of distractions lure me out of my wellness zone. Three, by honoring and living my own values, I feel in alignment with myself which gives me clarity. I don’t have any internal noise distracting or draining me.
Today as I boarded my flight, two little brothers were boarding the plane with their parents and the flight attendant gave them their first wings, and my goodness that glee those boys reacted with was so contagious. The littlest boy exclaimed that, “this is the best day ever!”. It was such a powerful reminder of being where you are that I couldn’t help asking the attendant for my own pair of wings. It felt right to grab them as a reminder to keep pausing.
Push or pause? The choice is yours...I encourage you to let your internal landscape be the guide and to trust your own wings to decide when you need to take flight and when you need to stay on the ground.
