With the busyness of everyday life, I don’t know how often we think about the power of pausing and being still for just a moment.

Every Busy Life Needs Moments of Pause

If you’re anything like me, sometimes you can get so busy you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel that you struggle to get off of.

When I’m having this kind of day, it’s a challenge to find the time to get everything done that needs to be done.

Taking a moment to pause when I’m frantically trying to get things done doesn’t make any sense, especially when time is already in short supply.

Still, it’s in these busy moments where there is so much power in the idea of pausing.

I’m not talking about stopping completely—just pausing to really reflect on where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. What are the goals you are trying to accomplish?

I feel like I am constantly trying to get so much done that it’s really hard to take a step back and really reflect on everything that I’m doing.

But it’s so important that we allow ourselves the time and grace to pause, especially when life gets overwhelming.

Let me share an example with you.

My Lesson From Scalloping in Steinhatchee

We recently went scalloping in Steinhatchee, FL.

When we first got into the water, I was diving down deep and swimming around like a mad woman trying to find scallops.

I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I knew they had to be down there.

Guess how many scallops I found—zero!

Of course, I was frustrated. After all, the children around me were all finding them, but I wasn’t.

So I decided to pause and just enjoy the moment.

The water temperature was beautiful. Everything was clear and you could see down below.

As I floated at the top of the water for a bit, I realized that I was the reason I wasn’t finding scallops.

In my own flurry of wanting to find scallops, I became my own stumbling block.

I was spending so much time swimming around, muddying up the water, that I couldn’t see anything.

By pausing and relaxing and just floating on the water, I started to see the scallops clearly.

And after that simple pause, I did pretty well for myself. I got quite a few scallops.

This may seem like a silly story, but it really had a profound effect on me.

How We Approach Things Matters

How are you showing up in your life?

Are you running around like a crazy person forgetting to enjoy the moment?

Yes, you have to go from point A to point B, maybe even several times a day.

But it’s the stuff in the middle that really matters.

It’s the stuff in the middle that can make all the difference in our busy, crazy, non-stop lives.

When we take the time to pause, it gives us just a moment to focus on what’s most important.

It’s where we can reestablish our goals and redirect where we’re headed.

Sometimes, we get so busy and focused on the outcome that we don’t stop to evaluate if there is a better way of doing things.

Just like my example of scalloping, diving head-first into things isn’t always the best way to go about it.

Sometimes, we have to take a more delicate approach by pausing so we can have a clear view of what lies ahead of us.

Four Steps to Use the Power of the Pause

It’s important to understand that pausing isn’t just about stopping for a minute and then go-go-going again.

Pausing is much more than that. And if you do it correctly, there is so much power in the concept.

For me, I use these four important steps.

Step #1: Pause what you’re doing.

Much like you would pause a movie to get some popcorn or answer the phone, hit the pause button on what you’re doing.

This means you stop thinking about it and redirect your focus.

Step #2: Reflect and see.

Think about where you’ve been. Think about where you’re going next. Ask yourself if that’s where you really want to go.

Also, ask yourself if there is a better way of accomplishing what you are doing.

This can be done with a project, with a phone call, with a task you are doing—whatever you’re working on, this will still work for you.

Step #3: Think about where you want to go next.

Do you really want to keep moving in the direction that you’re going? Is there something else you would rather be doing? What have you learned by taking this moment in time to really reflect on what’s happening at this moment?

Too often, we get into a place where we are doing the same things over and over again, expecting a different result. This is the definition of insanity.

If we want to change where we’re at, sometimes we have to start thinking and doing things differently.

Step #4: Move forward.

This is essentially hitting unpause on the remote and stepping back into the flow of life.

If that means continuing in the same direction, great! If that means changing where you’re headed, that’s great, too.

The point of the pause is to make sure you are headed in the right direction.

The Power of the Pause is Confidence

Taking the time to pause and reflect gives you the necessary time to look at your life and see where you’re at.

This is a big part of building confidence.

Confidence is strengthened when we’re able to pause, reflect on where we’ve been, and focus on what we’re doing right now.

It doesn’t have to be a really long pause. It just has to be long enough to give us the time we need to reevaluate where we are at and where we are headed.

Sometimes in our busyness, we are doing things the wrong way. The pause allows us to see things clearly so we can know that we’re headed in the right direction.

If we are already moving in the right direction, the pause will give us the confidence to keep moving forward in that direction.

If the pause makes us recognize that the direction we are headed in needs to change—even that will build greater confidence.

Confidence is built by moving forward through our fears and putting one step in front of the other, knowing we’re headed in the right direction.

And just like my pause in the water brought me success at gathering scallops, your pause will bring you success, too.

I Challenge You to Find Power in the Pause

While watching a movie, hitting that pause button gives you the ability to redirect your focus for a moment.

Why do we pause during a movie?

We pause because we need to do something else and direct our attention elsewhere.

Maybe we pause because the phone rings. Or maybe we pause because one of our children needs our attention.

The pause button is a beautiful thing because when you pause the movie, it doesn’t just keep passing you by.

Pausing gives you the necessary time to take care of other things and still come back and start the movie where you left off.

It’s the same thing when we take time to pause our busy life.

We are giving ourselves the time we need to take care of other important things before we step back into the flow of life’s busyness.

My challenge to you is to hit the pause button this week when life gets a little too overwhelming.

Use the four steps above to determine if the direction you’re going is the right direction for you.

Then, step back into the flow of life with confidence, knowing that the direction you’re headed is exactly where you want to be.