When you’re constantly on high alert, it burns a lot of energy and creates stress on your system, eventually leading to burnout. Photo: Benchmark Training.
May Busch says there are times when work can seem like an endless race to beat one deadline after another, but speed does not always bring the best results.
You might think it’s odd to ask you this since I’m the author of a book with the title Accelerate, but do you need to slow down?
The desire to hurry has become the norm: rushing from one meeting to another; rushing to meet deadlines; rushing because we feel behind in our work or life in general.
It’s exhausting, but faster isn’t necessarily better. In fact, being in a hurry and trying to go fast can backfire.
So, while it goes against our instincts, here are three reasons you’ll enjoy greater success by slowing down.
Slowing down leads to better performance: Speed does not always enhance performance; indeed, rushing to do a task can lead to worse results. Slowing down means taking a few moments to organise your thoughts and prepare yourself before the ‘’doing’’. Give yourself the gift of stepping back – even for a few seconds – to think before you act.
The moments you take to gather your thoughts before diving in will improve your results and can make the difference between good and great.
Slowing down enhances your executive presence: How you speak and move matters, and much of executive presence and gravitas is about your pace. When speaking, slowing down lets people better absorb the points you’re making. You’ll have the time to pause for effect. It makes room to really listen to what the other person is saying.
The same goes for how you move. When you slow down, you’ll feel more calm, confident and in control, and that’s how others will experience you as well.
Slowing down improves your personal wellness: Operating in ‘’emergency mode’’ as your default is costly. When you’re constantly on high alert, it burns a lot of energy and creates stress on your system. That’s how I almost burned out. Don’t wait until you have to slow down to slow down.
If this feels challenging, start small in one part of your life, like being present when you eat.
Instead of reading or watching videos, savour the food using all your senses. If you’re sharing a meal with others, enjoy their company and the conversation. This one small change made a big difference to my ability to enjoy life and feel less stressed.
A mentor of mine likes to say: “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Slow and steady can give you the staying power you need to succeed. So, get clear on what success means for you and allow yourself to take the time you need. Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. What small change can you make to slow down in your career and life?
May Busch’s mission is to help leaders and their organisations achieve their full potential. She works with smart entrepreneurs and top managements to build their businesses. She can be contacted at [email protected]. This article first appeared on May’s blogsite.
