Throughout my involvement in Scouts, I have become increasingly familiar with the practice of pausing. We teach our youth to P.A.U.S.E (Pause, Assess, Understand, Share, Execute) before they start an adventure. In reality, it is an excellent practice for everyday life, whether you are heading out to the office or starting a long journey.
- Pause > Stop, clear your mind, and focus.
- Assess > What is your goal? Where are you going? What resources do you have?
- Understand > What are the potential conditions, risks, and rewards? Do you have everything you need to reduce the risks and increase your potential reward while preparing for the various conditions that may lie ahead?
- Share > Share where you are going, what you are doing, how long you will be gone, how/when you will communicate, what you have with you, and who you are with.
- Execute > You have a plan; it’s time to start your adventure.
In today’s society, our minds are full of noise. Even when you don’t have somewhere to be or something to do, the supercomputer in your pocket quickly steals your attention. We must find methods to intentionally stop, clear our minds, and think. I believe mastering the practice of P.A.U.S.E. has never been more needed.
As the days of 2023 are counting down, I encourage you to P.A.U.S.E. to establish your goals for 2024.
- Pause > Find some quiet time for yourself or with your family to spend some time reflecting on 2023 and dreaming of 2024.
- Assess > What did you accomplish in 2023? What resources do you have? What do you want to achieve in 2024?
- Understand > What lies ahead in 2024 that can hinder you from achieving your goals or help you? What can you do to increase your chances of success and minimize risks?
- Share > Find an accountability partner. Let them know what you want to accomplish and when you will do so. Set times to communicate with them.
- Execute > In the previous four steps, you created a plan and established an accountability partner. The only thing left to do is to get going on the adventure of 2024!
We wish you a healthy and prosperous 2024!
