Slowing down to get more done

Karen Burge Author

When we rush around we miss things, make mistakes and have a bad day. Slowing down means savouring life and achieving more.

In these lazy hazy days of summer it’s easy to sit with a glass of wine in the evening, laugh with friends and appreciate life. But come the autumn chill, or even Monday morning, it’s back to speed, working hard and chasing the goals.

I used to be the woman who crammed everything into the day; tasks, decisions, duties, work hours, and mothering. That constant watch checking while I rushed from one demand to the other took its toll. I burnt out.

I learnt a few lessons from that period and the most valuable was this:

When you slow down, you get more done.

I’m now on a mission to tread a slow, meandering path of enjoyment, beautiful ease, and achievement too.

When you’re rushing through life you miss things. You miss how those around you are feeling, or you might miss the important phrase in a document. Both could change your day if not your life.

When you try and get too much done, you make mistakes. You drop things, and you rush out of the door and then have to return because you’ve forgotten something. You’re more likely to have an accident; and that could be life changing too.

You always have a choice of how your day is going to be. It starts with deciding whether to speed up, or to slow down.

You can reach for your ‘phone as you get out of bed and check your emails, which will put pressure on you to get into answering someone else’s demands as soon as possible.

You might skip breakfast and gulp down a coffee, and even eat while you’re driving, and you’ll feel stressed before you’ve even started work!

You may have the news on loudly, shout at your children to get a move on, and rush out of the house, and you’ll feel depressed and guilty for most of the day.

However, you could choose instead to:

Stretch, breathe and give thanks for starting a fresh new day, while you decide how you want to feel, and who you wish to connect with.

Make time to nourish your body, and savour quality food that makes you feel energized for the day. You notice the smell of the coffee you love, and feel happy.

Play music that either soothes or invigorates you. You decide to calmly run through your morning tasks instead of getting into drama. You try to ease your loved ones into a beautiful day because you want the best for them too.

Yes, it takes effort and practice. You may need to get up earlier, break habits, and focus on the desired result, but it will be worth it.

Slowing down is always a choice, and one you can make today.

When you slow everything down, you’ll create time to take control of your thoughts, feelings and actions, and ultimately your day.

2019-08-26

Categories: Appreciation, Goals, Achievement, Relax, Overwhelm