Simplifying.

For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much.

You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren’t doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities.

Determining where your priorities lie can be as easy as making two lists: one that outlines all those obligations that are vital to your wellbeing, such as work, meditation, and exercise, and another that describes everything you do that is not directly related to your wellbeing. Although there will likely be items in the latter list that excite your passion or bring you joy, you may discover that you devote a large portion of your time to unnecessary activities.

To simplify your schedule, consider which of these unnecessary activities add little value to your life and edit them from your agenda. Remember that you may need to ask for help, say no firmly, or delegate responsibility in order to distance yourself from such encumbrances. However, as you divest yourself of non-vital obligations that cause you stress, serve no purpose, or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself, you will feel more energetic and enthusiastic about life in general.

If simplifying your schedule seems prohibitively difficult and you still feel pressed to take on more, try imagining how each new commitment will impact your life before saying yes. When you consider the hassle associated with superfluous obligations, you may be surprised to see that your schedule is impeding your attempts to grow as an individual.

Your willingness to pare down your agenda, no matter how gradual your progress, will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.

Text by Daily Om

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Slowing Down To Go Farther | Part 4/4

Based on text by Patrick Buggy

Slow Down for Better Results

Like the tortoise who beat the hare by managing its energy and keeping a steady pace, slowing down is about optimizing for the process.

The situations you’re in will vary. The specific approaches that help you slow down might change. But the underlying principles remain the same:

• Staying intentional, you do what’s most important to you.
• Focusing on quality, you do things well.
• Focusing on the long-term, you care for your wellbeing and do things you can sustain.
• Letting go of attachments, you remain open to possibilities, so you can do what’s optimal.

Mindful is slow. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

Some practice, anyone?

Re-read Parts 1, 2, 3.

Where would you benefit from slowing down this week?

Slowing Down To Go Farther Part 3/4

Based on text by Patrick Buggy

Slowing Down in the Moment

Slowing down means letting go of the urge to do more. And in doing so, shifting your attention to quality and effectiveness.

In practice, the basic process looks like this:

1. Notice when you experience the thought “I need to do more or else [consequence]…”
2. Examine if that’s really the case. Do you know for certain that doing more is the answer?
3. Let go of the urge to do more, and instead, proceed mindfully by slowing down.
4. Slow down to re-ground yourself and consider possible paths forward.
5. Prime yourself for action.
6. Move forward in the best way: with clarity, intention, and energy.

Not sure what “slowing down” actually means?

It varies depending on where you are and what you’re doing!

To get your mind going, check out the 8 approaches below. They work well together, but this isn’t a fixed sequence. Treat them as options to experiment with.

8 Ways to Slow Down (and Get Better Results)

1. Physically slow down. Changing your physical body is a great way to shift your psychology. Start by sitting still. Put your devices away. Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Sit in meditation. Or, go for a walk outside. Anywhere from 5-20 minutes can create a profound shift.
2. Get out of your head and into your body: Re-ground yourself by directing your attention towards the physical sensations in your body. Observe how the sensations ebb, flow, and change over time. By noticing what’s there without judgment, you can stay more intentional.
3. Recall the nature of your thoughts: The thoughts crossing your mind are just thoughts, not universal truths. Think of them as suggestions, or possibilities. Question them. Is this thought actually true?
4. Consider alternate paths forward: What do you want here? How have you been approaching it? What are some different ways you could approach it?
5. Set a new intention: Having slowed down and considered your approach, what do you want to do now? In the big-picture, what’s most important?
6. Write about it: Thoughts move quickly in the mind. Noting them down on paper slows things down so you can see them more clearly. Grab a pen and some paper and write thoughts as they surface in your mind. (Without judging them or needing to do something about it.)
7. Prime yourself for quality action: Before taking action, consider: “What would it look like to move forward in the best way?” For me, this often involves taking a break to shift my state. (e.g. Exercising, having some tea, switching my physical location.) Creating a deliberate shift, even a small one, helps with letting go of the previous approach, and orienting to your new intention.
8. Treat it as an experiment: It can be intimidating to try new approaches. Instead of worrying about what will happen if it doesn’t work, treat it as an experiment. You’ll never know what will happen unless you give it a go!

It’s important to note that slowing down is NOT about making things perfect. Instead, it’s about improving your effectiveness, even by a little bit.

Beware of the trap of overthinking your approach. If you find yourself trying to get things perfect, shift your focus to marginal gains. “How could I be 5 or 10% more effective?”

Slowing Down To Go Farther | Part 2/4

Based on text by Patrick Buggy

The Perils of “More, More, More”

Picture this: You’re driving up a hill. It’s steep. And it’s muddy.

The more effort approach is like slamming your foot on the accelerator. By doing this, the engine will rev and your wheels will spin faster. But if you don’t make progress up the hill, what’s the use?

Slowing down gives you an opportunity to consider alternate approaches. Perhaps there’s a different road that would serve you better. Maybe you need to get a new vehicle. Or maybe, walking would be most effective path up.

Acting with the idea that “more is always better, so I need to do more” contributes to:

• Anxiety: “How will I ever get where I want to?”
• A mindset of scarcity and impatience: “I’m not doing enough”
• Fear: “If I don’t create what I want here, then I won’t be okay in life.”
• A scattered mind: “So much to do, so little time!”

Which brings us to back to the lesson from the golf course: If you want to make better progress, start by slowing down.

The Benefits of Slowing Down

I first experienced the benefits of slowing down while playing golf. But since then, I’ve observed this principle at work in all areas of life.

In Communication + Relationships

• Speaking: Using fewer words and speaking intentionally begets clarity and understanding.
• Listening: Slowing down and getting present helps you actually hear what the other person is saying. (Instead of focusing on your response.)
• Sharing: Instead of blurting out the first thing that comes into your head, slowing down helps you consider what’s actually alive in you.
• Working through a challenge: Slowing down helps you zoom out, shift your perspective, and see the problem from a new angle.

In Business

• Sales: If you aren’t creating the number of clients you’d like, simply making more sales calls may not be your best route forward. Slowing down can help you understand opportunities to be of greater service to others by changing your approach.
• Creativity: When procrastinating, or feeling resistance, slowing down to do just one thing is an effective way to create momentum.
• Operations: If your days are consumed by logistical challenges, and you find yourself repeating similar tasks over and over again, just doing more work won’t solve the underlying issues. Slowing down can help you consider the underlying system, and find ways to expedite, automate, and improve it.

In Athletics

• Swimming: Slower strokes can help you maintain a streamlined position in the water, leading to faster speeds.
• Strength Training: Slowing down helps you prioritize good form to avoid injury, and use your energy effectively through.
• Rock Climbing: Slower movements help you maintain balance and control on the wall, leading to fewer falls.

In Life

• When overwhelmed: Slowing down is the best way to regain clarity in hectic and stressful times. Mindfully working with what you’re feeling, you can let go of anything that’s not serving you, shift your state, and establish a clear intention to move forward.
• Careers: Without clarity that you’re on a path that’s aligned with your purpose and priorities, working harder for the next promotion won’t feel as meaningful. Slowing down helps you orient yourself in the right direction, and make shifts if necessary.
• Rest: To maintain great energy, you need to slow down, rest, and refill the gas tank.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Part 3 coming soon!

In a hurry…? Again???

Always being rushed and in a hurry doesn't allow time for the soul to enjoy life, which is composed of small, ordinary moments that can be beautiful

Our lives have become increasingly fast-paced, and the effort to keep up often occupies all our time and attention. We are so busy rushing from point A to point B that we forget to enjoy the ride. We race to the store without noticing the leaves on the trees or the clouds in the sky. We go through the checkout line feeling too pressed to converse with the cashier or the other people in line. At the end of a day filled with this kind of frantic pace, we may begin to wonder what it is we do all these things for, if we don't even have the time to occasionally stop and just take it all in. 

Always being rushed and in a hurry doesn't allow time for the soul to enjoy life, which is composed of small, ordinary moments, like watching snow fall from the sky, having a spontaneous conversation with a stranger, or lingering over a meal for several hours. Small towns and the people who live in them can teach us all a thing or two about living life to the fullest as a daily matter. City people have a tendency to think that their lives are full because they are doing so many different things, but in a small town, there tends to be more time left open to be spontaneous or take an extended moment of rest. This certainly doesn't mean that we can't live in a city and enjoy life fully -- we can and do; it just takes a little more awareness. 

One thing we can do, wherever we live, is bring awareness breaks into our day and take 10 minutes to simply look out the window and observe what's happening outside. We might also choose to cultivate a relationship with someone we see regularly, such as a clerk at the convenience mart or a neighbor. Taking time to have a conversation that is not necessary is a true luxury in this day and age, as is staring out the window. 

Participating in acts of timelessness makes the biggest city in the world start to feel a little bit more like a small town.  

Slowing down.

By Madisyn Taylor When we rush through our days and lives, we fail to notice the simple beauty of living. When we rush through our days and lives, we fail to notice the simple beauty of living. Throughout our lives, we are taught to value speed and getting things done quickly. We learn that doing is more valuable than merely being, and that making the most of life is a matter of forging ahead at a hurried pace. Yet as we lurch forward in search of some elusive sense of fulfillment, we find ourselves feeling increasingly harried and disconnected. More importantly, we fail to notice the simple beauty of living. When we learn to slow down, we rediscover the significance of seemingly inconsequential aspects of life. Mealtimes become meditative celebrations of nourishment. A job well-done becomes a source of profound pleasure, no matter what the nature of our labors. In essence, we give ourselves the gift of time–time to indulge our curiosity, to enjoy the moment, to appreciate worldly wonders, to sit and think, to connect with others, and to explore our inner landscapes more fully. A life savored slowly need not be passive, inefficient, or slothful. Conducting ourselves at a slower pace enables us to be selective in how we spend our time and to fully appreciate each passing moment. Slowness can even be a boon in situations that seem to demand haste. When we pace ourselves for even a few moments as we address urgent matters, we can center ourselves before moving ahead with our plans. Embracing simplicity allows us to gradually purge from our lives those commitments and activities that do not benefit us in some way. The extra time we consequently gain can seem like vast, empty stretches of wasted potential. But as we learn to slow down, we soon realize that eliminating unnecessary rapidity from our experiences allows us to fill that time in a constructive, fulfilling, and agreeable way. We can relish our morning rituals, linger over quality time with loved ones, immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in our work, and take advantage of opportunities to nurture ourselves every single day. You may find it challenging to avoid giving in to the temptation to rush, particularly if you have acclimated to a world of split-second communication, cell phones, email and overflowing agendas. Yet the sense of continuous accomplishment you lose when you slow down will quickly be replaced by feelings of magnificent contentment. Your relaxed tempo will open your mind and heart to deeper levels of awareness that help you discover the true gloriousness of being alive.