Reflection: As long time subscribers would have noticed, last week the Pause e-zine launched a fresh new look for spring. The feedback on the new format has been overwhelmingly positive; and I thank all of you who took the time to share your reactions.

The revamp has been a long time coming. It’s been a few years since I last surveyed readers. At that time, many of you urged me to take a flying leap (figuratively, of course) into the future. You recommended jazzing up the look of the e-zine saying,“Give us some color and a bit of a design to go with the excellent content.”

I got the message. And, I dawdled. Maybe this happens with projects in your life, too. You see a need. You set an intention and a direction. Then you dance around it for a very long time.

In the case of the e-zine, I collected examples and tinkered with designs. I flirted with the idea of asking for design help. I knew shifting to a more visual presentation was going to mean moving to a different list management service, which could mean changing providers. Complications! What seemed to be a small project loomed large. I danced elsewhere.

With the writing of each weekly message, that intention lurked over my shoulder, and I continued to note my lack of progress.

When I finally worked my way through the inertia to get the design and new service arranged – and launched it last week, I felt a tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment. More than that, as a writer, I harvested that burst of energy that comes with what amounts to a fresh pen and a brand new sheet of paper. It was a wonderful reminder of how crossing a finish line can be a powerful energizer.

Action: Daily life can be an endless swirling eddy of expectations. Caught up in powerful currents, drown-proofing as best we can, sometimes it’s all we can do to avoid being sucked into the vortex of wretchedness. (I love that phrase, and wish I could remember where I first heard it!)

The act of progressing from A to B – of crossing a finish line – and then pausing to mark the occasion is an uplifting practice available to us all.

When was the last time you crossed a finish line? What one task or item could you complete this week to give yourself that energizing boost that comes with crossing the line? How will you feel when you throw your arms high in the air, and whisper to yourself or shout to the world, “Yeah, I did it! It’s done! That feels good!”

PS – Send me a photo of your triumph. I’d love to see that big wide grin on your face!

PS 2 – Really, do send me a picture – triumph of completion or not! Many of you commented how nice it was to see my smiling mug on the masthead of the new Pause format. That led me to wonder what my readers look like. So, do send me a picture of you. I’ll turn them into a collage at my end, and keep your smiling faces right in front of me as a reminder of why and to whom I write each weekly message.

Quote Of The Week: “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” – Eva Young

Resource Of The Week: I really admire the work of Tony Schwartz at the Energy Project. You might appreciate his thoughts on the power of stopping points and finishing lines in this HBR Blog article: The Magic of Doing One Thing At A Time.

Readers Write: In response to last week’s message, Small First Steps Not Just For Toddlers, Pause reader SF writes:   I love the appearance of your new Pause Newsletter.  And your reflection was so true. I also had a summer job that changed my college major and career direction.  And there are other significant changes in my life that happened as a result of a single event or decision.  I like your advice. Often if a job seems daunting, I try to focus on what the first step would be. Taking it one step at a time makes it manageable.