Purposeful Pause: Stepping Back to Move Forward

The first cool morning of fall always stops me in my tracks. There’s something about the shift in the air that makes me breathe a little deeper. Today, I noticed how the leaves have changed, and realized I’m changing too. Fall is the season when I slow down enough to notice what I need to release and what I want to carry forward. It invites us to look back, and to prepare for what’s ahead.

This year, that invitation feels stronger than ever.

A Season of Reflection

Ascentim will celebrate its fifth anniversary next spring. Five years. When I pause and really let that sink in, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What started as a dream has grown into something I could not have imagined—a community, a calling, and a platform that continues to stretch me as much as it blesses others.

And yet, five years is also long enough to recognize when change is stirring. I can feel a tug to pivot, though the details are not yet clear. What I know for sure is that growth never happens by accident. It requires intention. And intention requires space.

To be candid, I am physically and mentally exhausted. It’s not the kind of tired a good night’s sleep can fix. It’s the deep weariness that comes from too much doing and not enough being. Somewhere along the way, I slipped into the trap of functioning more like a human doing than a human being.

And when I get to that place, I know what it means: it’s time for a pause.

Why I’m Pausing—Again

Several years ago, I wrote a series of blogs on the concept of a Purposeful Pause. At the time, I was learning how to stop running on autopilot and how to give myself permission to breathe. Those words poured out of me then because I desperately needed them myself. And I need them again now.

Ralph Marston said, “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

It sounds so simple, but if you’re anything like me, you know how difficult it can be to step away. We live in a culture that rewards hustle and constant motion. We equate productivity with worth. However, the truth is that if we never pause, we plummet.

Pausing is not weakness. It’s wisdom.

The Purposeful Pause Process

In the Purposeful Pause series, I outlined a process that I now use whenever I step back. It’s a rhythm that helps me not only rest, but also realign. The movements are simple, but they hold profound depth:

1. Refresh: Begin by giving yourself the grace to rest. To let your body, mind, and spirit catch up. That might mean sleeping more, moving your body differently, or simply taking a break from the constant pressure. Refreshing is about noticing what you need and honoring it.

2. Reflect & Recalibrate: Once you’ve caught your breath, take time to reflect. What’s working? What isn’t? What do you want to carry forward, and what needs to be released? Reflection is powerful, but recalibration is where change begins. It’s when you shift, even slightly, toward what matters most.

3. Recharge & Redirect: After reflection comes renewal. Recharge is not about going back to business as usual—it’s about filling your tank so you can redirect your energy with clarity and purpose.

4. Reemerge: Finally, the pause prepares you to reemerge. Not as the same version of yourself, but as someone renewed. Stronger, clearer, more grounded.

This cycle has carried me through countless seasons of transition. And now, I find myself in it once again.

Why This Moment Matters

October will look different for me. I’ve made the intentional choice to step back for the month. To refresh. To reflect and recalibrate. To recharge and redirect. And then, when the time is right, to reemerge.

That also means this will be my last blog post until I am ready to step forward again. I don’t know the exact moment yet, but I will return when the pause has done its work.

It’s no accident this pause comes just before a season of celebration. Next spring, we’ll mark five years of Ascentim. That milestone is worth honoring. But it’s also worth preparing for. And I want to meet it not with exhaustion, but with energy—not with blurred vision, but with crystal clear clarity.

If You’re Feeling the Nudge

Are you sensing a need for a pause? If so, let me be clear: your pause doesn’t have to look like mine. It doesn’t have to be a month away from work or a season of stepping back. A purposeful pause can be as small or as big as you need it to be.

It might look like:

• A few deep breaths before walking into a tough meeting.
• An afternoon walk when your calendar insists you should stay at your desk.
• A weekend without emails.
• A single day of silence and stillness.
• Or yes, even a whole month (or longer) to breathe, reflect, and realign.

The length isn’t the point. The intention is.

If you feel a nudge to create your own pause, I’d love to share a tool that has helped me and many others: The Purposeful Pause Journal. It’s designed to help you slow down, ask meaningful questions, and reconnect with what matters most.

Until I Reemerge

As I step back this October, I recall the words I wrote years ago when I first began practicing this rhythm:

“Pausing with purpose isn’t about stopping forever—it’s about stopping long enough to start again, renewed.”

That’s my hope for this season. That I’ll find renewal in the pause, and that you will too, in whatever way you need. I’ll be back when I’m ready to reemerge. Until then, may you find peace in your own pauses—whether they last a moment, a day, or a season.