The other day I got a call from a friend. He needed some advice and someone recommended he bounce his situation off of me. The more we talked I could tell that this was a complicated issue and all the parties involved had some really valid concerns. I told him I would continue to give it some thought and we’d talk again the next day.

When I got home that evening, I talked the issue through with Amanda and the more I talked, the stronger I felt that I needed to help resolve this situation.

Immediately.
ASAP.
Like Now.

It just seemed important and, even though the voices in my head were telling me to SLOW DOWN, I was trying to override them w/ a number of excuses. I am very encouraged that I finally listened to my inner voice as it told me to:

GO TO BED. GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP AND REVISIT THIS ISSUE IN THE MORNING.

So I did and guess what? I literally forgot about it. Really. I got up and went about my morning and it didn’t hit me until the afternoon that I hadn’t dealt with the issue yet. So, with a completely different outlook and temperament, I made some calls and was able to add some value to the conversation.

While this is still a fault of mine I am getting better at realizing that very few issues need my immediate attention. Some do, of course, but rarely am I not better served by waiting overnight. The power of a good nights rest cannot be overstated. As I look back on situations where I’ve made bad decisions, lost my temper, reacted in a way that I know I shouldn’t have, I can almost always attribute it to being tired. I look back over my week and see that I’m not getting enough sleep. For me, it is a killer.

Remember, just slow down. Most decisions don’t have to be made immediately. There may be some tension, that’s ok. See how you feel after some rest. You’ll either validate how you felt the night before or you’ll be glad you kept your mouth shut. Either way, most of the time it will be for the better.