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That’s long been the guiding principle for Chirag Trivedi of New Milford, who gave the motto a literal meaning when he opened TimeOut cafe on River Edge Avenue last year.
TimeOut is a place to do just that, said Trivedi, who leads by example.
Trivedi moved to the U.S. after high school from Bombay, India, to study computer science at North Carolina State University.
He worked at Baskin Robbins to fund his education but quickly ballooned up from 180 to 235 pounds with all the ice cream he was eating.
He knew if he wanted to lose it, he'd have to start making his health a priority.
"When I got career I knew it was time to drop the weight," Tivedi said. "I started running lifting weights."
That's when Trivedi says he learned the importance of making time for himself.
"It’s about energy management," the father of two said. "You have to take care of yourself before you take care of others."
These days, Trivedi wakes up every day at 5 a.m. to work out, meditate, journal and read.
Then, he brings his kids to school, hops on a train to his full-time IT management job in New York City or Jersey City -- depending on the day -- and spends the next five-ish hours in back-to-back meetings before he can even think about taking lunch.
Miraculously, Trivedi had even more to give last year, when he opened TimeOut cafe long having felt that there weren't many options for people to come and "just sit."
“I felt like I had to do something that the whole town would benefit from,” he said.
"I saw a lot of places around Hoboken and Jersey City and I wanted that type of feel here in town."
The cafe has two different seating areas, both with tables and comfy, leather chairs.
Trivedi wanted TimeOut to be casual and informal -- somewhere quiet where people could come to recharge.
The menu has healthy options, all created by the owner himself, and range from paninis and salads to gelato-topped waffles and crepes.
Bubble tea and red velvet lattes have recently been fan favorites.
What Trivedi wanted most from the coffee shop was a place to invest in his passions: Food and fitness.
This weekend, Trivedi will be starting a $15 yoga class at the shop that will run Sundays at 9 a.m.
"When you get to a certain age,” he said, "you want to do something you’re passionate about rather than something to just make you money."
TimeOut, 181-163 River Edge Ave, New Milford, (201) 483-8306
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