Take Pause
In music it’s often said that the notes are not always important as the time between two notes. A rest in music can signal change and a different dynamic. At the end of each day we take rest so that we can rise fresh in the morning and do it all over again. People take vacations so they don’t burn out at work. Occasionally I will run into a problem at work that I can’t seem to figure out at that exact moment. Perhaps I’ve gone through my checklist of tried and true technique but still haven’t achieved success. When I run into these scenarios often I find that stepping back and returning at a different time yields the desired results. Or at least it allows me time to come up with an alternative solution and the best plan to pull it off.
I’ve found myself this year the busiest I’ve ever been, (thankfully and humbly.) Things got so crazy and the workload so big that we were literally running people all over trying to, “put out fires.” We would finish one call only to have 3 new ones pop up. The waiting list grew longer each day of existing customers waiting for help. As I watched this unfold each day, despite the noble efforts of our team, I came to the realization something different had to happen. For a few days I completely slowed down the pace and examined the workload on paper. We listed every job and what it would take and how long. Then there was the question of priorities of which project we do. To slow the flood of work we had to tell some people, “I’m sorry, we can’t help at this time.” You don’t want to commit to projects you won’t be able to do. By taking this pause and contemplating our next move, it allows the clear thinking that we need to choose the correct path.
Life is full of challenging decisions and problems and you want to give yourself the edge . Try thinking like a Chess player, several moves ahead. Also, “Haste makes waste,” is absolutely true.
I hope everyone has a great July! Aloha!
Charlie Stonecypher is the owner
of Suncoast Irrigation and Landscaping. They specialize in products that work smart without wasting resources. Contact him at (843) 327-8642 or email
suncoastirrigation@gmail.com.
