Book excerpt: How to find clarity amid the turbulence of work and life We all wish we had more time to pause and reflect about small decisions and big goals—and everything in between. But since we live and work in a vortex of tasks, meetings, decisions, and responsibilities, we rarely get the chance to step back. In this practical guide, bestselling author and Harvard Business School professor Joseph Badaracco argues that you don't need long periods of solitude and tranquility to reflect well. In fact, reflection can take place in the cracks and crevices of your very busy life, and these moments can help you understand your feelings, look at problems from different perspectives, focus on what really matters, and, ultimately, lead a better life. Building on candid interviews with over a hundred executives and professionals, as well as on the classic works of Marcus Aurelius, Michel de Montaigne, and Ignatius of Loyola, Badaracco offers simple, customizable principles and ideas for reflection that lend a gentle discipline to an otherwise nebulous process. Concise, smart, and pragmatic, Step Back is the guide you need to make reflection a positive force in your work and life.