A Practice of Slowness

In my previous career, we were encouraged to build think time into our calendars – time where we would step out of the day-to-day autopilot mode and strategically working ON our business instead of IN it. The manta often used to reinforce this practice was “slow down to speed up.”

I am so grateful that a practice of slowness was talked about, encouraged, and demonstrated by my leadership team. The reason I’m writing a post about this today, is because I want to reinforce the importance of slowing down AND… to clarify the result. In my experience, slowing down is not just about speeding up. It’s about moving through life with greater ease.

This phrase, “slow down to speed up” suggests that faster is better. This isn’t uncommon in our productivity-based working style and colloquialisms. I’ve already shared my thoughts on the adage “better busy than bored” in a previous post.

It’s easy to be busy. In some ways, it even feels safe, familiar. But running around like a chicken with your head cut off just means you’re running in circles, confused and directionless. Kemi Nekvapil even goes as far as to say, “’Busy’ is a socially accepted form of numbing.”

Slowing down is uncomfortable. I understand that. But it’s also a key component of skillful being and of creating a meaningful life.

Slowing down gives us the space we need to clarify our mission, vision, and values. It’s responding instead of reacting. It offers an opportunity to reconnect with purpose and intention.

And most importantly, it’s a chance to realign ourselves (body, mind, soul, and spirit) in such a way that we move forward not just with speed, but with ease and integrity.

Like any healthy habit, slowness is a practice. It requires self-awareness, ongoing maintenance, and discernment. Coaching is one way to build this practice into your schedule. And with slowness as one of my superpowers, I’d love to partner with you to create greater ease in your life!