Different Pace. Sharper Focus.
by Melanie Wilt, APR
When I stepped down from county commission at the end of 2025, a lot of people asked the same question, usually with genuine concern and a little disbelief:
“So … what are you going to do now?”
The short answer: many of the same things.
The more honest answer: the same things, but at a different pace.
It turns out that when you remove a 24/7 public role, you don’t suddenly get free time. You get space. And that space has a way of sharpening your attention to priorities.
I’m pacing myself for a marathon — not a sprint. If you know me, you can see my genetics and build are better suited for that kind of race anyway. (Cue my college football player blaming Mom for his slow feet.)
Here are three ways my focus has shifted.
- Putting my own mask on first
You know the flight attendant line: Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.
Somewhere between meetings, conflict, crisis management and trying to be all things to all people, I deprioritized my mental and emotional health. Now I’m making it important — along with my physical wellness. And rest. And silence. And a morning routine that invites exercise, prayer and nourishment.
I’m learning to enjoy the process of life again, not just the outcomes. I took myself on a much-needed self-care vacation. It’s not the first time I’ve done this, but it was long overdue.
I still haven’t had time to get my hair cut. But progress is progress.
- Being where my feet are
I’m not actually doing more with my family. I’m doing less with more intention.
More time in the barn. More unstructured moments. More travel adventures. And most importantly, soaking up every minute of Addie’s senior year — her friends, her milestones and her world — right before it shifts again. Friday night, I was present enough to make an appearance on her TikTok livestream, and let me tell you, that was an experience!
If there’s a lesson public service taught me, it’s that time is the one thing you never get back. So I’m spending it like I finally understand that.
- Pouring energy into Shift•ology with purpose
Here’s the part that surprises people: I’m actually working longer days now. But they’re more meaningful and more focused.
Shift•ology is coming off its two best years ever. We’re growing at the pace we set. I’m working on the business and in the business. We’re revisiting back-burner ideas, closing loops more intentionally, and being more present with our work and with each other.
We’ve taken on next-level clients and projects in rural health and agriculture that stretch us, challenge us and remind us why we do this in the first place. This is meaningful work that truly matters in rural communities.
I’ve rediscovered curiosity in my own professional development, especially in the areas of leadership, AI (not the barn kind) and social listening. I’m spending more time with our team. And yes, I’m temporarily back in account management while we fill a vacant role — because sometimes leadership looks like rolling up your sleeves, not stepping back.
My team’s email inboxes might not immediately signal that the boss’s pace is slower, but I hope they see that I’m holding up my leg of the relay as we make our way to a solid finish.
At 48, I’ve given myself permission to stop and look around.
At what I’ve built.
At the people — past and present — who have built Shift•ology with me.
At the growth, the mistakes, the resilience and the impact.
Success doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it shows up quietly, when you finally slow down enough to see it.
As the song says, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Turns out, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve built until you stop sprinting.
I’m still busy. My calendar is still ridiculously full. But my energy is better spent, and my focus is sharper. For the first time in a long while, the pace feels intentional.
Now … about that haircut.