Take a Step Back to Launch Forward

Crystal Westfield

STEP BACKS ARE NOT SETBACKS.

There is so much going on in our lives.

So much noise in the form of social media and media in general.

So much busyness with work and family tasks.

So much demand on our minds, on our time, and our lives these days.

Sometimes in order to ultimately reach your goals, you need to take a step back. Taking a step back may require you to stand still initially. Placing certain tasks on hold for a time. Placing certain visions and goals on hold. Tasks that seemed to be a good idea, but you are no longer satisfied with, don’t have a fuzzy feeling for, and are unclear on what you are doing or why you are doing it.

There are sometimes when you need to move beyond standing still, and actually take a bigger step back. Taking a bigger step back means completely eliminating the task or goal that is no longer serving you or your vision. This may come in the form of a single task or a set of tasks.

Taking a step back may be an internal decision because you have a prompting or a realization that what you are doing is no longer serving you and your vision. The step back may have been required by external factors; such as unforseen circumstances or at the direction of someone else of authority.

The great news is that step backs don’t have to be setbacks, and you are in control of whether or not the change launches you forward towards your goals and vision. Step backs are a good time to reflect, re-center, gain perspective, and plan for a new launch forward! When things are no longer aligning, it may be for a variety of reasons. It may be an indication of the need to redirect or revise the goal.

I remember when I started feeling uncomfortable at my job. I was working hard, serving people, and I had just accomplished an amazing task of getting my license as a Marriage and Family Therapist which came with great effort, great committment, years of struggle, and passing 2 state board exams following 2 years of accelerated courses and another 5 years of internship hours. I was ecstatic at this accomplishment and just knew that I would be more valued, and would receive a promotion.

But that didn’t happen. Not only did my employer not give me a promotion, they barely offered me an increase in compensation. The offer for a pay increase was about $200 a month. That’s it. I had accomplished something my direct supervisor had not even accomplished, and had worked long hours, been on-call 24/7 to help clients in need, and had served the staff and families for many years. I thought I would have been more valuable, and I was….just not to them. So I gave my resignation without another job lined up.

This was a step back, not a setback. I was in control and decided to start my own private practice. Financially, it was a HUGE step back, and it was a risk. However, what that did was launch me into my destiny, my vision, my goal of being an entrepreneur and having time freedom. That was the end of February, 2011 and 8 years ago as of the date I am writing this blogpost.

There are times that a step back will feel like a setback, even when you make the decision, because there are no guarantees that the next plan will work. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions in those 8 years, and I even closed my private practice to move on to the next thing. It will probably never be “ideal” in situation or circumstance, however, it is YOUR choice to grow and launch forward from the step back and allow it to propel you towards your vision, your goals, your dream.

I want to encourage you today, whether it is a job, a relationship, activities you scheduled for you kids, a negative word that was said about you, or an unforseen situation…YOU have the control to step back, evaluate, re-center, and prepare yourself to launch forward in the way of a comeback that is bigger, better, and a demonstration of your growth!

I hope this blessed you today, and if you are interested in receiving more tips and tools, inspiration and motivation through emails, you can sign up here

xo Crystal

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