Timothy Byler, D.R.E.
Spring Forward. Fall Back. You hear it twice a year on the advance and later, the retreat of that wonderful man induced phenomenon - Daylight Savings Time (DST). Set your clocks ahead one hour. Roll your clocks back one hour… unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii. They don’t do it!
I personally love Daylight Savings Time. The later the lighter, the better for me. But I prefer longer days and shorter nights. It’s funny how this one little man induced phenomenon can frustrate people. Some get cranky. Others are cynical. For the three days surrounding the time change, people trumpet their opinion of the joy or absurdity of it with the same tenacity reserved for a political election. Oi!!!
And it happens on Sunday - which is often quite revealing. In fact, perhaps the inventors chose to put it on Sunday simply so that those prone to complaining about it would have to go to church, put in their spiritual game face, and get through the first hours of their adjustment with feigned joy or at least repent for their disrupted and now maligned attitude!
Something funny happens though. On ‘Spring Forward’, a lot of people miss the moment and when they realize they are an hour late for church, they skip going. Attendance is often a bit lower on the first Sunday of DST. Ironically, while one would think that the opposite would be true at the advent of ‘Fall Back’, that even if you forget, you would be an hour early for church. They are. Then they realize it and head off to a quick breakfast - which extends because everyone else did the same thing, filling up and slowing down the restaurant and their ‘usually quick’ service and they miss church then too!
But I digress. I have noticed that for many people, ‘Falling Back’ is not simply a time change. When DST was instituted, the purpose was to adjust the time to utilize the linger daylight hours to work in the fields. More time equals more accomplished. DST was scheduled to end once the long hours of fieldwork and harvest was done. You didn’t quit but you could relax a bit, knowing that the harvest was safely shipped to market or stored for the winter months. Like the time, a person could ‘Fall Back’.
Field work in today’s America affects far fewer people, yet I have noticed a tendency in people to still adopt a ‘Fall back’ attitude when autumn arrives. Depression rises (and there are all sorts of scientific reasons for that), attitudes shift, and momentum wanes for many individuals. I personally believe that some of this is because the mindset was reasonably woven into the DNA of DST.
What if you intentionally broke the mindset? What if, instead of falling back, you ‘Fall Forward’? I am not suggesting you bombard yourself with work, especially when the holiday season and time for family is in full swing. Rather, I am suggesting that amazing things could be accomplished with three principles given a priority in your life.
First: “Every season has its benefits.” Moderately cooler temperatures help traction. The best time to drag race is in the fall. When the temperatures are between 58° and 65°, a well prepped track will give the driver an incredible experience in “hooking up” - which means that the tires will “stick” and hold traction as the car launches. Plus the cooler temperatures increase the breathability of the engine and actually produces more horsepower. Knowing how to capitalize on the cooler seasons can produce effective wins for you.
Second: “An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest.” If you can intentionally maintain momentum when others are falling back, you can increase your pace simply by keeping your pace as others slow down. You can actually gain traction by picking up what others drop. I have a friend in real estate who does exactly this. Her peers slow down in November and December. She stays aware and picks up far more leads because the competition is waning. I used to experience the same thing in auto sales. Others had slow months and blamed the holidays. I had strong months because I was attentive when others were dormant.
Third: “Momentum solves 80% of your problems.” - John Maxwell. Forward movement is always about turning problems into opportunity. Every job solves a problem for someone. Solving problems for others is what increases your value. Momentum is the key in maintaining that. Routine is the key to maintaining momentum. If you can hold fast to a productive routine and maintain your momentum, you can actually accelerate. You can set the stage for what will happen in the coming year. Like the farmers who used the time to repair and sharpen their tools, you can prepare for what you will do in the coming year and when the ol’ clock springs forward!
In short, ‘Falling Forward’ is simply adopting the mentality that the Fall season is also a season of acceleration. It is a time to move forward. Learn to recognize the characteristics of the season and use them to your benefit. Determine to stay in motion, even when others slow down. Use the time to discover what problems you can turn into opportunities for growth and acceleration. Fall FORWARD!
©️2022 - Timothy Byler - All Rights Reserved
