Forced Pauses Aren’t Setbacks

Sometimes what feels like a setback
is really just a reset you didn’t give yourself permission to take.

I got hit hard last week here in Bali.
High fever. IVs.
Complete shutdown.

And when you’re forced to sit still, you start seeing things differently.

You realize:
Most of what felt urgent…
Wasn’t important.
Most of the pressure you were carrying…
Was pressure you put on yourself.

When the body crashes, it’s because the mind refused to slow down.

Being sick forced me to ask:

• What am I actually building?

• Am I busy… or aligned?

• Am I climbing the right mountain?

The answer wasn’t pretty at first.

But now it's clear.

And if you’re running fast right now—
Pause for a second.

Ask yourself if the ladder you’re climbing is leaned against the right wall.
Because momentum on the wrong path doesn’t help you get there faster.

It just leads to burnout quicker.

Forced pauses aren’t failures.
They’re check-ins you didn’t schedule yourself.

Grateful I got mine.

Give one for yourself.

Take care
Chris Punt