Clearing the Rug

Though it sounds vaguely Sapphic I'm referring to an analogy someone made at a meeting last week:  If I am to clear the rug I cannot stand at the edge and jump, I must back up so I can take a run at it.  And that's what I'm doing, I'm backing up, biding my time or am I just telling myself that so I feel like less of a loser?  Does it matter?