Hit the Pause Button

June 8, 2015

Categories: Decision

I was traveling recently, and when I got to the airport, I had to take a train to get to my terminal. As I rode up the escalator, the train had arrived and was about to take off. I had just enough time to rush into the train as the doors closed behind me.

Whew! That was close, I thought to myself.

I barely finished celebrating my excellent timing and good luck when I realized I had gotten on the wrong train.

Bummer!

The lesson for me was that when I’m in a rush, I tend to make mistakes. As a result, I end up wasting more time in the long run. It would have been better for me to pause, double check the train, and then proceed, even if it meant I had to wait a few minutes for the next train.

What about you? How many times have you rushed through a decision, only to have it backfire on you? Next time you are in a situation where you have to make a choice, take a deep breath and pause for a minute. Double check your options and make sure you are making the correct decision.

Discussion: Do you tend to rush through your decisions? What do you think of having a rule to pause a minute before proceeding toward your choice?

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10 Comments

  1. […] Step: As you go through your day today, if you get frustrated about something in your life, press the pause button and reflect. Ask yourself: “Should this area of my life be in the left lane, middle lane, or right lane?” […]

  2. The New Year Evaluation - Joshua Hook January 5, 2019 at 12:44 pm - Reply

    […] New Year! One of the things I love about the New Year is that it is a natural time to press pause and check in with how my life is going. In this post, I’m going to teach an exercise that you […]

  3. […] I love that. It’s usually not that serious. If you find yourself freaking out about something, press the pause button. Is this something that you will be worrying about in five years? One year? One month? If not, […]

  4. […] you feel frustrated or upset by something that is happening today, press the pause button and think about the long view. Is this thing you’re upset about going to matter a day from now, a […]

  5. […] I get in a situation like that, it’s best for me to press the pause button, take a break, and try again tomorrow. This isn’t always possible in life, but usually it’s not […]

  6. […] Luckily, I noticed this about myself, and I was able to slow down and take a few deep breaths. I pressed the pause button and looked a little closer at how the pipes worked and fit together. After I slowed down a bit, I […]

  7. […] make good decisions. Whenever I feel pressure to respond, it would be valuable for me to stop and press the pause button on my response. Perhaps it would even be in my best interests to talk over the situation with […]

  8. […] frustrated if I keep trying and trying with no progress. In these situations, it’s better to hit the pause button and see if I can get someone to help […]

  9. […] you find yourself feeling anxious about tomorrow, stop and press the pause button. What might God be teaching you in this time of uncertainty and struggle? How might your character […]

  10. […] thing I’ve been trying to do is notice when I feel triggered about something, and press pause on my […]

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