Tag Archives: Slowing down

Don’t be in such a rush unless you’ve got the time

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“Don’t be in such a rush unless you’ve got the time.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a man running across a glass floor

Image from Unsplash by Andy Beales

At my fitness club recently, I was speaking to an automotive executive named Jim about The Quotable Coach series. In addition to showing sincere interest in the concept of quote/coaching commentary/and an exercise to apply the nugget of wisdom to our own lives, he shared today’s quote.

He also told me stories in which rushing had a painful downside – not the least of which was stubbing his baby toe too many times to count.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways do you find yourself rushing around your world, with the results you desire falling short of your intentions?

Where would slowing down a bit and taking your time on both important and seemingly urgent matters be the way to approach more aspects of your life?

“The trouble with life in the fast lane…”

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“The trouble with life in the fast lane is that you get to the other end in an awful hurry.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Tristan Schmurr

Photo from Flickr by Tristan Schmurr

At no time in history have we ever been more productive, and achieved more in our professional and personal lives. Who doesn’t find themselves racing through their days to keep up or stay ahead of the pack?

Unfortunately, this increase in achievement and productivity is often associated with considerably more stress and less fulfillment and satisfaction.

Examine the following list of daily activities many people engage in, and notice your own level of urgency to finish them as quickly as possible:

  • Reading email and other forms of written communication.
  • Eating your daily meals.
  • Conversations with friends, family, and colleagues.
  • The number of hours of sleep you get each night.
  • Your driving speed throughout your day.
  • Your propensity to multitask.

EXERCISE:

How and where in your life would a slower pace, taking the time to savor sights, sounds, and tastes bring you greater success and satisfaction throughout the day?

“It wasn’t raining when…”

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“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

—Howard Ruff, financial adviser and writer

Photo from Boy Scouts of America

Photo from Boy Scouts of America

We tend to live our lives at a mad pace, with only a few moments each day to catch our breath.

When we do this consistently, our level of stress goes up, and our effectiveness and productivity go down. Another consequence of this rush-around world is that we rarely get to the big and important projects that we most desire.

Taking time to plan and build our own “ark of life” prepares us for the critical life events that come our way and make life worthwhile.

EXERCISE:

Examine some of the most important and urgent life issues that are just around the corner or over the horizon. How can you work backwards from these events, to be as prepared as possible and get ahead of the rainstorms of life that are coming?

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

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“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

— Mahatma Gandhi, leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India

Photo from Flickr by John Talbot

Photo from Flickr by John Talbot

Have you noticed lately that the pace of life has picked up considerably? Wall Street and large organizations capitalize on the critical factor of speed. Everyone wants what they want bigger, better, and faster—but at what cost?

Evaluate your own organization and examine the level of stress and overall job satisfaction for yourself and those around you. How much more are you expected to accomplish these days compared to a few years ago?

With the internet, smart phones, and other technical wonders that make communication instantaneous, the world expects us to speed up proportionally, and be available 24/7, as if we were computer microprocessors ourselves.

EXERCISE:

Based on what is most important in your life, determine the optimal speed at which you choose to operate, and make the necessary adjustments to your world. Do you need to speed up, or will your life be better if you slow down?

Feel free to reply to this post to share your thoughts and perspective on this important issue.