We are spoilt with technology that yields immediate results. We click on one button and in a few seconds we are connected with a colleague or family member thousands of miles away. We receive our groceries or restaurant meals within an hour of placing an order on an app.
And I love it! I love getting things done right now or in the next minute. I adore new innovations that support us in getting things done faster and faster. I love fast cars, music with a lively rhythm and I even tend to talk fast.
Nothing frustrates me more than having to wait or being told that something cannot happen within the time frame I have in mind. My energy levels are still the same as when I was a star athlete in school and nothing could stop me from running as fast as I could.
But over the years I have learnt that not all people live at the same frenetic pace that inspires and energises me. I have learnt to be more patient with the slower pace of other drivers and colleagues. I have even learnt to speak slower and calmer in the company of other, more reserved temperaments.
My body also reminded to temper the pace I rush through life with, when I became gravely ill during the Covid pandemic. I still spend more time on slowing down, rest more than I used to and I remind myself about the benefits of a slower way of living whenever I feel a restlessness stirring in me.
There’s a lovely quote of Nathan Williams that I hope will inspire you to do the same: “Slow living isn’t about determining how little we can live with – it’s about working out what we simply can’t live without.”
Challenge yourself today: Choose just one of the options I list or devise something similar that fits into your routine. But do challenge yourself! Today!
- Complete one menial task like washing dishes, shopping or getting dressed for your exercise class slower than usual.
- Hug your dear ones a few seconds longer when you greet them.
- Chat a few minutes with somebody from work about a topic that has nothing to do with work.
- Drink your tea or coffee with smaller sips and put the cup or mug down after each and every sip.
- Keep to the speed limit when driving.
The possibilities are endless. Choose just one thing and try to notice how jarring it feels because it hinders you in the haste you have become so used to. Notice how irritated or frustrated or bored you perhaps become because you don’t want to wait and waste time.
Think about how and why you dislike slowing down. When we live on auto pilot and allow the routines and thought patterns that we developed over years to dictate our lives in an unchecked manner, we will never find balance in our lives.
We forget that immediate gratification and long-term happiness are opposites on a spectrum. When we rethink and reshape our dreams, responsibilities, wants and needs in a regular, focused manner, we will each regain balance in a unique manner that fits our individual lifestyles.
It is possible to consciously travel along the road to success whilst finding joy, peace and happiness in the journey. Look at your long-term vision and ask yourself:
- Which part of my life do I need to slow down to achieve my vision?
- What will I gain from slowing down?
- What am I prepared to sacrifice for these gains?
Whilst pondering these questions and formulating your answers you have probably realised that there are no instant solutions. If so: Congratulations! You have crossed the first bridge to lasting happiness.
Kayleigh Dray explains it best: “… slow living is not about living your life in slow motion; it’s about doing everything at the right speed and pacing instead of rushing. By that same logic, slow living is not about losing time by going slowly; it’s about gaining time by doing the things that are most important to you.”
