This principle can be a life-changer for every person on earth. Learning and practicing this one principle will bring a sweeter life and eliminate frustrations. It crosses over into every area of life whether leading a team, an entire organization, tackling a plumbing project, or working a puzzle in the privacy of your own home. Practice this God-given principle for peace of mind and renewed focus.

Perhaps it is built into leaders, this drive to go, go, go billowing at a project like a fast moving monorail train that has no brake for slowing or stopping. Do not get me wrong, I believe we need to keep the train moving forward and build momentum along the way. However, I believe successful leaders understand – or have someone to help them understand that in most planning and decision making projects there comes a time when a break is needed. One principle I have learned, practiced, and try to pass on to others is that of Break for Reset. We can get so involved and wrapped up in looking at a project or situation from a particular vantage point that we can miss opportunities for greater potential.

I have on occasion advised my wife to stop working on a particular project if she was becoming frustrated and could not come to a solution. And no, I’m not speaking of having difficulty with her husband. One instance in particular was balancing a bank statement that had her frustrated and ready to throw in the proverbial towel. My advice was to set it aside and come back to the bank statement later or even the next day. When she came back to it she found the resolution and was finished within five minutes. I have done the same on many occasions – walk away and come back later – take a break and come back refreshed with a renewed and reset mind. Following a break for rest and coming back with a clear mind it is amazing how clearly and simple an answer comes to some situations that seemed nearly impossible earlier.

My wife and I were laying hardwood flooring in our bedroom. This was not our first time as we had laid hardwood flooring in two other rooms in this particular house and a 400 square foot room in a previous house. We had been working all day on this room and came to the last strip of flooring. Each piece needed to be cut length wise and fitted not only along the edge of the wall but around the base of two French doors as well. I ran into a situation – how to get the last two pieces in as one would need to be locked into place and tapped under the door trim and the other fitted into a corner. I thought and thought, measured and contemplated. It was a real dilemma. It was late and we were both tired. We decided to stop for the night and finish the final two pieces the next day. I took a short break then began cleaning up the room while my wife was in another part of the house. About a half hour later I was almost finished picking up and putting things away when the solution to my situation came to me clear as the ringing of a bell.

The longer I stayed in the mode of trying to solve the issue, the more tunneled in thought I became. But once I stopped thinking about it and gave my mind a needed rest, the answer came, without me trying to process it. To give her the credit, my wife recommended a similar solution forty-five minutes earlier that evening. But, I was so tunneled in my own thought processes that her suggestion did not register.

Taking a break to reset can be invaluable to your leadership, your family, and your own mental and emotional stability. We all need to step away from situations and projects to clear our minds and reset our thinking processes. When something has you so wrapped up, take a break. Do not think about that project for a period of time. Force yourself if you need to, to put it out of your mind and think on something more pleasant and enjoyable. Your mind cannot reset if you continue to think about the issue needing resolution. Take a break and reset for a clear perspective. And if you need to, make sure someone in your circle of influence has your permission to tell you to break and reset as Leigh Ann did for her husband Tim in chapter twelve of Turnaround Journey. Capture this principle – Break for Reset – and you will be able to use it in each and every area of your life.  Life is so much sweeter when we learn to use and practice God-given principles.

To learn more about the principle of breaking for reset purchase your copy of Turnaround Journey and contact George Yates at SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.