Can you speed up by slowing down?

What happens when life speeds up?

When my day gets packed with meetings, my work gets pushed into the evening or the weekend. If I’ve got commitments with my family or friends, I have to skip those or reschedule them. To keep my head above water, I start to drop commitments that I have made to myself, times to exercise or relax, then health care (doctor, dentist, etc.), then sleep.

When my life gets “full” like that, things start to become a blur. I lose track of what day it is. I miss milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events. I’m not making memories or connections with my family and friends.

I feel like I’m missing things. My creativity and capacity are all used up just getting from one day to the next. I’m spent. 

What happens when I slow down?

When I focus on only the things that are mine to do I can keep my work within healthy limits. I’m not rushing from meeting to meeting, so I catch up with co-workers and clients about things outside of work. I can show care and concern for them as individuals, not just as someone who works for me.

I also notice a lot of new business opportunities that I missed before. If I slow down and respond to folks writing me with questions or leaving comments on my LinkedIn post, they frequently turn into prospects. Or, at the very least, I’ve made a connection with someone in the industry.

When I’m going slower, I have time to take care of my body and my mind. I spend time reading or listening to podcasts, and that learning sparks new ideas. Because I’m exercising and sleeping well, my creative problem-solving skills turn that learning into new opportunities.

I feel like I’m living my best life. Instead of feeling slow, it feels full and rich.

I’m having a lot of conversations with clients about how to slow down to make more progress professionally and have a full and rich life. If you’d benefit from a conversation about that, hit reply and let me know. Having these kinds of discussions is what I do!