The idea of retreating to go forward has always seemed somewhat counterproductive to me. I like advancement and the feeling that I’m going towards something worthwhile. However, the more I live, the more I realize the importance of taking a step back. When you starting a task and it never comes out right sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board. In a stressful job sometimes you have to take a 20 minute break in order to come back in a better state of mind. Growing up, my grandfather always told me that spending more time planning than working was more efficient than the other way around. It’s important to take the time to re-evaluate your strategy instead of blindly pushing ahead. Take your time and just because you retreat doesn’t mean that it’s over. It’s just beginning.
Learning to stop and reevaluate has been an interesting journey for me. It’s hard for others to understand “why is she stopping? we need to move forward”. But it is best to stop and think. Why waste time doing something that you could have known to not do anymore if you had just stopped and reevaluate?