When It’s Time to Take a Step Back

This week my whole team is at my house for our annual planning meeting—the time where we take a step back from the daily hustle and get together to discuss ideas and map out where our next year is going to take us.  

We decide which projects we want to pursue, what things we need to stop doing, and how we are going to make it happen. 

And that’s not always easy to do.

Because the reality is that when life is moving fast and it feels like there is always one more thing that needs to be done—one more errand to run, one more email to write, one more reel to post on Instagram, one more task to check off the list—slowing down to reassess, regroup, and take an honest look at what’s working and what’s not is usually the last thing you feel like you can do, a luxury you simply can’t afford.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent to a point that you can only myopically focus on what is directly in front of you, simply handling whatever next crisis gets thrown your way.  

You get to a point where it feels like you’re a hamster on a wheel, running as fast as you can, but never actually getting anywhere.

But let me tell you—the one thing I’ve learned about being a business owner—and a mom—is that this time spent looking at the big picture is always invaluable.

As much as it feels like taking a step back will mean I’m falling behind, what I’ve always found is actually the opposite: that I am able to catch my breath and get clarity, to more objectively see what is working and what’s not, and to identify the areas where I am struggling and need to make changes, as well as celebrate the wins I’ve been too busy to even pay attention to.

Carl Sandburg once wrote, “A man must find time for himself. Time is what we spend our lives with. If we are not careful we find others spending it for us…It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, 'Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?'…If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one's time—the stuff of life.”

In other words?  Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward.

And so, my challenge for you this week, as we say goodbye to summer and head into the fall and the final months of the year, is to set aside some time to step back and look at the big picture.

Where have you been this past year, and where would you like to go?  

What have been your biggest wins so far in 2024, and the accomplishments you are most proud of? 

In what areas have you been struggling, or would you like to improve?  

What were your biggest goals for 2024, and what still needs to happen this year to get you over the finish line?  

What are the things that you need to stop doing that are no longer serving you?

While it might feel like a luxury you can’t afford right now, commit to giving yourself the gift of perspective this week. Take some time to slow down, breathe, and regroup.  

You might just be amazed at the difference it can make.

Live with purpose, friends, and have an amazing week! 

xoxo, Ruth

This week’s podcast episode…

What’s cooking in my kitchen…

Here’s the recipe I shared this past week:

The latest from my Instagram…

Instagram is my jam! If you’re there too, I’d love to connect with you—find me at @RuthSoukup or @ruthsoukupbiz for online business tips!

What’s Happening Around RSO…