While I was transitioning from self-employment to taking my first full-time job, getting back into Pokémon cards was a nice pillar to lean on. The hobby gave me something else to focus on and feel good about. But now that I’m settled in my new gig with plenty of new writing direction to go in, it’s time to lower the heat. It’ll still be wonderful when burning with a small flame.

A good test for when it’s time to make changes like these is: “What do you hate not doing?” With me, having decided to let my Pokémon obsession run at full speed so I can finalize my collection for the time being in the fastest way possible, I can feel a bit of frustration welling up. That’s good! It’s a sign that confirms change is needed.

In the German soccer league, “relegation” is when a team is about to lose their spot and be downgraded into a lower tier of the ladder. But they do have one more chance! In so-called “relegation games,” it will be decided whether they’ll remain or have to start from scratch. Our own neglects offer the same opportunity.

If you’re feeling regretful about having banished an important activity to the sidelines, don’t dwell in that regret. Treat it as feedback for moving forward. Maybe, it’s time to bring the relegated back in—after all, everything blossoms at different times.

Nik

Niklas Göke writes for dreamers, doers, and unbroken optimists. A self-taught writer with more than a decade of experience, Nik has published over 2,000 articles. His work has attracted tens of millions of readers and been featured in places like Business Insider, CNBC, Lifehacker, and many others. Nik has self-published 2 books thus far, most recently 2-Minute Pep Talks. Outside of his day job and daily blog, Nik loves reading, video games, and pizza, which he eats plenty a slice of in Munich, Germany, where he resides.