In this year’s March Madness, eight games have been won on a buzzer beater. For those who don’t follow basketball, that means the final shot of the game determined the outcome – sometimes from an unbelievable distance.
Think about that for a moment.
How many times in your business or personal life have you been that close to achieving a goal… but stopped?
Maybe you didn’t even attempt the shot.
Maybe the loss was so painful it drained your energy and motivation to try again. Or maybe – like me at one point – the odds felt so remote that you convinced yourself it wasn’t worth another try.
Around this time last year, I wrote about trying to get tickets to the Final Four –https://timrichardson.com/need-a-do-over/. My dad was a Duke graduate and a huge fan, and it was always a dream of mine to take him. The process is a lottery, with millions of people submitting their names.
I tried once. Just once.
Then I stopped.
Looking back, I had many opportunities, as Duke was in the Final Four numerous times during the years when my dad was healthy and we could have gone together. But for some reason, I never tried again (we did attend a Duke vs. Georgia Tech football game a few months before he died – photo above).
In that moment, I realized something I wish I had understood earlier:
I had waited too long. There was no way we would ever get to The Final Four.
How often does this happen in our lives?
We set a goal. We make a plan. Something derails us – and instead of pausing to reassess, we quietly let the goal go.
But what if, in that moment, we chose differently?
What if instead of stopping, we paused?
Paused to reflect.
Paused to adjust.
Paused to ask, “Is this still important – and if so, what needs to change?”
Sometimes the path needs a small adjustment. Sometimes creativity is required. And sometimes, yes, the goal itself needs to evolve.
But if the goal truly matters, the focus should shift from why it might not work to how it still could.
That’s the difference between giving up and growing forward.
At the same time, not every goal should be pursued at all costs.
A friend of mine has had an incredible opportunity working in an amazingly beautiful location on an island. He worked to build a plan for an amazing transformation there and was positioned to be part of a project that was exciting, with high-impact growth and long-term success.
Professionally, it was everything many people strive for in their careers.
But he made a different choice.
He decided to make a move to be closer to his family.
He didn’t give up.
He reprioritized.
He took a different kind of shot.
And that’s an important distinction.
We often hear “never give up,” and there’s truth in that.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Never give up on what matters most. But be willing to pause long enough to make sure you’re still chasing the right thing.
Because sometimes:
The goal needs refining The timeline needs adjusting Or the priority needs to shift entirely
Success isn’t just about achievement. It’s about alignment.
Never stop trying, but don’t confuse movement with meaning.
Some goals deserve another shot… even if the odds seem long. Others deserve a thoughtful pause… so you can realign with what matters most.
The pause is where clarity lives. It’s where better decisions are made. It’s where we find the courage to either keep going – or change direction with purpose.
So, keep pursuing your goals. Stay committed. Take the shot.
But every once in a while, take a step back and ask yourself:
Is this still what matters most?
Because sometimes the most important move you can make… isn’t forward.
It’s intentional.
