Slow Down To Move Forward

This has kind of become my slogan lately, and I'm finally starting to understand what it actually means because I'm actually doing it. I'm intentionally slowing down. I'm taking time away from the constant go, go, go. And honestly, it seems counterintuitive. If I want to move forward, shouldn't I be doing more? Working harder? Moving faster?

It reminds me of the movie Cars when Doc Hudson tells Lightning McQueen, "Turn right to go left." The first time I heard that, it didn't make any sense. But it worked for them. I'll be honest...it still doesn't really make sense to me, and probably won't unless I become a race car driver someday.

I was raised to believe that doing more gets more done. Move faster. Work longer. Stay busy. Push through. But moving faster often leads to feeling rushed, making more mistakes, and creating more work for yourself. Spending all of your time working without taking breaks eventually leads to burnout, and it's hard to stay focused when your mind never gets a chance to rest.

I've started noticing that slowing down makes me more efficient. I make fewer mistakes. I'm more focused. I think more clearly.

And I'm seeing this in my own life. When I first started my business, I was trying to do everything. I'd spend hours working into the evening, trying to get it where I wanted it to be as quickly as possible. Before I knew it, I realized I was recreating the same burnout that led me to leave teaching in the first place.

Eventually, I gave myself space.

Actually...that's not true.

I had to force myself to give myself space. I had to discipline myself to slow down. To take time away from work, from being a mom, from taking another class, reading another book, constantly going here and there, and even from personal growth. Sometimes even the things I love stop feeling like things I get to do and start feeling like another thing I have to do.

And it's not like I figured it out once and never struggled with it again.

It's a process. An ebb and flow.

There are still times when I catch myself trying to do too much, and I have to pull myself back. I have to remind myself to slow down, to be intentional, and to trust that I don't have to do everything today.

For me, that looks like taking quiet walks by myself, sitting outside without feeling like I need to be productive, practicing meditation and breathwork, and simply letting myself be. I've also stopped rushing myself. I answer messages when I have the capacity to answer them well. I don't feel like I have to constantly be "on." I try not to do it all. Instead, I make more intentional choices with my time and energy.

Sometimes I picture my brain like a junk drawer. If it's overflowing with stuff, how can I possibly expect to think clearly or stay focused?

The interesting part is that I'm still getting things done. I'm still growing. I'm still moving forward. I'm just doing it with more intention, more focus, and less pressure.

Many of the most powerful mindset shifts are counterintuitive. They often sound wrong at first because they challenge the way we've always thought.

Kind of like, "Turn right to go left."

Moving forward isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about slowing down enough to do what matters most.  

Reflection: What makes it difficult for you to slow down? Where in your life do you feel like you're constantly rushing? What might become possible if you gave yourself permission to slow down?

Action Step: Choose one part of your day this week to intentionally slow down. Eat your lunch without multitasking. Take a walk without your phone. Sit outside for ten minutes. Notice how you feel afterward.