Are you always looking to get to the next thing?  There are a lot of folks in that camp.  We get so busy in our minds getting to the next thing that we spend very little time with our current thing and paying attention to it.  That leads to a lot of life being led inside our heads predicting what life will be like in the future…instead of in the moment experiencing what life is like now.

Over the years, we have sent many newsletters with the punchline, "slow down."  Our message never changes, most likely because it is one of the hardest things to do.  When you feel a need to rush and get on to the next thing, it is very hard to convince yourself to slow down.  Most people agree with this in theory, however we still repeatedly find ourselves many steps ahead of the present moment (or replaying the past).

There is so much more we become aware of when we slow down and pay attention to the present activity in the present moment.  There is so much more vital information in the present that helps us make the best decisions.  Perhaps most importantly, you’ll often find that if you really check in with yourself right now, things are pretty good and there is a lot to be grateful for right now, in the present moment.  It’s the "next thing" or the "last thing" that is causing stress, anxiety, and self-doubt. It takes a lot of strength to change your current patterns and really consider the extraordinary value of slowing down.

In our work, we help our clients see where they might be rushing and frequently remind them of the power and satisfaction available by slowing down.

To less hurry

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When did we start taking pride in being able to do many things at once?  In fact, it is MUCH more difficult to do one thing and only one thing.  It is hard to place our attention on one thing and leave it there.  That is why the “flow” state is so coveted.  We miss being fully absorbed in one thing because frequently we are juggling 2, 3, 4 things at once.  

So, instead of being prideful that you can listen to your friend, respond to an email, and eat your lunch, consider accepting the challenge to do one thing at a time and only one thing.  Perhaps attempting to do many things at once limits the amount of time you spend in a flow state.  Consider even your leisure activities.  Can you watch TV without scrolling on your phone at the same time?  Pay attention throughout your week, when do you truly do one thing at a time?  

To One-tasking!

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We recently got a puppy so please expect a lot of dog training metaphors over the next few months!  The other day we heard a trainer say, “if you think you’re going too slow, slow down.”  Of course we fell in love instantly! 

Watching our little pup learning some new skills, we can see how easily he becomes overwhelmed and confused if we move through the steps too quickly.  It’s not that he doesn’t know how to do it, or that he isn’t capable, but simply he needs to go through the steps at his pace.  In the end the training is so much more effective when we go at the appropriate pace.

Does it seem like the pace of your life is deadline driven both by others and yourself?  Do you berate yourself for how long something takes you?  Or, perhaps you’ve noticed that you are frequently rushing others?  If you are not getting the results you want OR you are getting the results you want at the cost of your or other’s well-being, we encourage you to look at the pace you are moving or wanting others to move at.  Sometimes the thought that we are moving too slowly creates an unwarranted urgency, which often leads to fear, judgments, and underperforming.

When we move faster than our capacity, we reduce our abilities and potential.  We’ve been taught that speed is paramount, but really, precision, excellence, and endurance are far more valuable traits.  So, the next time you have a judgment that you or another is moving too slowly, consider slowing down.  You might be surprised at the result.

To knowing when to slow down!

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Think about yourself like a sailboat.  You can have your sails up or down.  Most of us have been trained to keep our sails down because someone might get hurt, upset, disappointed, angry, jealous, vengeful, or just not like us.  

So, we keep them down…except sometimes, perhaps out of rebellion, we raise them and we race around a little bit and out of over eagerness or lack of experience we sometimes crash. The crash comes because we are not accustomed to having our sails all the way up.  We've forgotten what it is to be fully alive, awake, and vibrant.

The challenge is to know when to put your sails up and when to keep them down.  Every sailor knows that there is a constant need to adjust the sails to keep the boat at optimal performance.  For this you need sensitivity, alertness, and knowledge.  

This is the kind of work that we do with our clients.  We help to make them more competent sailors of their vessel.  This is achieved by helping clients access their truth and who they really are.  You cannot rely on another person's ideas and perspectives to sail your sailboat, you must understand the right moments for you to raise your sails and how to best optimize them for the course you're sailing, the wind, and weather conditions.  Through our work together, you will have constant opportunities to get an up-close and intimate knowledge of yourself so when life presents new conditions, you will know better how to sail your boat.

To mastering your sailboat

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Somewhere along the way we heard that Bill Watterson said that when he works, it never looks like it.  For him, working was staring up at the clouds and coming up with ideas for Calvin and Hobbes.  Doing what to others looks like nothing is sometimes the greatest catalyst for producing our best work.  Do you demand of yourself to create this precious time?  

Most of us by now understand the wisdom of slowing down.  We innately get that when we allow ourselves to be idle, in neutral, simply being, and with no schedule, we are rejuvenated.  And in this state, ideas spring up more easily and come to us with greater clarity.  

There are all kinds of excuses that are used to justify always staying busy, “well if everyone else would slow down, then I would too.”  “I’ll lose my edge if I slow down.”  “This is how I am naturally, I just always like to do things.”  “I don’t want to be the only one that takes time off.  Everyone will think I’m lazy.”  And on and on…

Who decided that endlessly pursuing the next, getting to the next thing, and the next rung on the ladder is the best way to live?  Did you decide that?  Or, are you just following suit and going along with it?  Do you know what’s at the top of the ladder? (Pause a moment with this question.)  Are you sure that you want that?  

Can you spend a day doing nothing “productive” without getting antsy and anxious to get something accomplished?  Do you remember what it was like being a kid?  Another great Bill Watterson quote: “There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”  Remember what that felt like?  Most of us need more of this kind of time.  

If you must twist it into something productive, think about this time as the fertilizer for your creativity.  If we are constantly in production mode we have no room for new ideas to get born.  We need this idle time.  This “do nothing” space.  And, we need to be ok if all that nothing produces nothing as well.

To respecting doing nothing

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Is life a process or a series of results?  Most of us would say "it’s a process," because we are smart enough to realize that that’s the "right" answer.  The real question is are we wise enough to live that way?

Take a look for yourself, are you more eager to check things off your to-do list or for the experience of doing the things on your to-do list?  Have you ever said "it’s a grind?"  Or "I’ve just gotta get through this, and then I can…"

We’d argue that more often than not, folks live their lives like it’s a series of results, always looking out on the horizon for the next thing to attain, achieve, and be successful at (rarely being present with "what is," aka the process of life).  That goes both for work and personal life.  Can we enjoy a new romantic relationship, or is our focus on where it is headed?  Can we enjoy our current position or do we focus on the promotion, raise, or year-end numbers?  We could give many more examples, but we won’t.

Last week we talked about the distinction between living our lives constantly working to get what we want as opposed to working to want what we’ve got.  We ended that letter with a question: How do you maintain enthusiasm for your endeavors, while also being satisfied with what you already have?  Part of the solution to this seeming quandary is learning to appreciate the process, rather than always focusing on the results.  Pay attention this week as you move through your day, consider your to-do list as an opportunity to fulfill your vision/purpose, rather than an obstacle to surmount in order to finally reach your goal. 

To results AND process!

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I was recently reminded that my intelligence, my abilities, and my performance all go down by an uncomfortable percentage every time I convince myself that I can multitask.  It is a frustrating realization that I come to every few months, but a necessary one.  I was stuck in a storm of effectively getting a lot of things kind of, sort of, mostly done.  This always puts me face to face with a hard truth, frequently delivered by one of my co-workers -- I am not so great (I say euphemistically) at talking, typing, figuring, or listening when I multitask.  These are all qualities that I need to be brilliant at to get my job done.  I can’t afford a drop in abilities in any of these areas!  Which means: I have to stop convincing myself that I can multitask.  

I know I’m not the only one who behaves like they think they are a genius multitasker.  I actually don’t think anyone is a good multitasker!  The unfortunate truth is that some of us just think we are.  Take an honest look now.  With no one watching.  And no repercussions for admitting that your multitasking is limiting your performance.  What would you say?  Might multitasking be getting in the way of you producing the results you want?  Additionally, is it preventing you from experiencing the peace of mind and calm you dream of having in your professional and home life?  

I love this quote from M*A*S*H, spoken by Major Winchester:

 “I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on.”

I’m putting together a list of the costs we see of multitasking (see if you can add any):

• More frequent mishaps and errors. 
• Less intimacy in our relationships (Who is guilty of “listening” to a loved one while looking at their phone alerts?)
• It limits your ability to learn and retain.  Try reading two books at the same time switching between books every word.  This is an extreme example of what happens when we try to learn and retain while multitasking.
• It creates stress (when your attention is constantly being pulled between competing tasks).
• And it trains you to attend to more than the thing in front of you.  If you are endeavoring to live more in the moment, this is going to do the opposite.

What else do you notice about yourself, your effectiveness, and your peace of mind when you are multitasking?  

Here is one side note I feel obliged to add to this piece:  When considering your multitasking, the tasks have to distract from each other for it to be an issue.  Tap into your knowledge of yourself -- and you will know the difference.  I can cook and listen to a podcast.  I cannot participate in a conversation while checking my email.

It is increasingly difficult to move through our world without multitasking.  Which is why awareness is so critical.  When we become aware that we are multitasking, and the cost of it, we have the opportunity to choose a different way.

We are not popping into your inbox today to stop you from multitasking or guilt you into berating yourself for doing too many things at once.  We are here to bring attention to what you might be overlooking.  Bringing attention is actually a good way to encapsulate all the work that we do.  We do not have an agenda in our work, other than to help you see from more perspectives.  It is our firm assertion that when you look from more perspectives, you see more possibilities and choices, and from there you can make decisions that bring about the results and experiences you want. 

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