Slowing Down to Go Fast

Slow down street sign

I mentioned last week that I had the opportunity to participate in a great conference in New York City.  I heard insightful speakers and met many new interesting people.  It was so energizing to shift my energy into a few days of in-person time.

 

The downside was that last weekend I tested positive for Covid (for the first time).  Thankfully, I've had a light set of symptoms that have not prevented me from doing virtual meetings, but I have had to lighten the expectations I had for myself this week since I've been dealing with a headache off and on and being more tired than normal.

 

On a call earlier today, someone was commenting that their recovery from an injury was taking longer than it used to when they were younger.  I also saw a meme about the same topic so it prompted me to use this week's post to talk about slowing down.

 

Many of you who read this blog would probably call yourselves achievers or perfectionists.  If that's how you identify, slowing down feels like it's admitting to a weakness that you don't want.  You don't want to be viewed as a slacker.  You want to be viewed as someone who perseveres through difficult conditions.

 

Sometimes, that's a great attribute.  However, when you're not at your physical, mental, or emotional best, pushing through rarely is the right answer.  Our body or mind will accommodate our pushing only so long before they push back and force us to take the break, and, often that recovery is longer than if we just took a bit of rest when we first started to feel rundown or sick.

 

I am not good at this yet, but I am better than I used to be.  I put myself to bed earlier every night this week, not set my alarm, and have not pushed myself to exercise even when I felt like I could or should do something.  Thankfully, there were no pressing commitments this week that I had to make hard decisions about.  I just had to debate with myself about what I was going to try to do and what I was going to let go until next week when I'm confident I'll be feeling more like myself.

 

I know you hate feeling like you're letting people down by asking for deadline extensions or not being able to fulfill family responsibilities.  I get it.  I've felt this way too.  But I know I'm not giving my best when I show up sick or overly tired, and I want to get back quickly to delivering at my normal level of performance quickly.

 

The saying goes that sometimes we need to slow down in order to go fast.  I think listening to our body when it's telling us to slow down will allow us to continue to perform at the high levels we expect from ourselves…after the short time out.  It's not a weakness when we listen to the signals around us.  It's a strength.

 

If you struggle with slowing down to go fast, send me an email and let's talk about what's getting in your way.

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