On transcontinental flights, sometimes a loaded plane with a full tank of jet fuel, people and cargo has to reverse backwards to the edge of the runway to get extra tarmac on takeoff. Every extra meter matters when it comes to momentum.
Sometimes you need to take a step back in your career if it means being part longer journey. Maybe it’s a job title, compensation, or location. When you make the trade off, weigh it against the extra momentum by taking a step back.
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When I first started driving in London, before the days of GPS, I would often get lost. Initially I would try cutting across and guessing how to link back up with my route. This usually made it worse due to London’s byzantine network of one way streets. In the end I u-turned and got back to where I had made the first erroneous turn. Then I knew I was back on the true route. Backwards to go forwards.
That is not to say that one should not take the road less travelled by. One should, unless one is clear about one’s destination and if one is, then go backwards and forwards until you are back on track for your ultimate goal. What is the ultimate goal? That is for each person and only they know. But it is seldom obvious to those who watch from the sidelines. The man in the arena is the only one who really knows.