Slow Down or Go Faster?

Have you ever rushed to get something done — then discovered you made a mistake and had to go back to make changes … causing you to lose time instead of saving time?

Here’s a way to accomplish more … without the hurry.

I received and email invitation to an event this week just as I was preparing to go online for a session with a client (an author writing his first book). I hastily checked the email and replied to ask about location — since it wasn’t listed in the body of the email.

After replying, I noticed something I had run right past at first: “Zoom” was noted in the subject line. That meant I had to create another email to say that no response was needed. It was a bit embarrassing … but it illustrates a learning principle I know I need to remember to observe:

Slow down!

In The Someday Plan we take that idea even further: We don’t just slow down, we stop. We take time during the day to put the brakes on our busyness. We practice “Hineni.” We purposely pause several times each day to acknowledge the presence of our Creator.

Hineni time doesn’t cure my tendency to move too quickly, but it does help me become more aware of my actions. And by expanding the practice to not just my relationship with God, but my communications with others, life flows a whole lot more smoothly. I become “more present.”

Here’s the amazing thing: Slowing down doesn’t mean you have to do less. Rather, the opposite is true. When I am attentive and focused, I get better work done quicker. And you can do the same.