Taking it “slow”.

Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve been running at 100 mph for years now. I’m always looking for ways to find clarity, improve productivity, be better, grow, learn, etc… The question often comes to my mind; “is moving at this speed the right way?”

To support the growth I desire, I also started meditating as a way to gain balance, calm, and focus in my otherwise very hectic life. I try to sit for 10 minutes every morning to set myself up for a productive and positive day.

Recently, I listened to a guided meditation by Alexis Santos on the Ten Percent Happier app called “Before The Day Begins” in the “waking up” section of the App. What I walked away with was by taking it slow I would be more mindful about what I was doing. Granted, this seems obvious, but to someone that moves as quickly as I do, it’s a hard task and begs the question, would what I do be better if it was slow?”

Just me going upstairs to grab socks can quickly steer me into 10 directions like taking the laundry out of the dryer, picking up some cups I see, cleaning up toys, dusting…why? Probably because I’m a multi-tasker by nature and feel like I’m saving time by stopping to do these small easy tasks along the way. But what if…just for one day…or one entire week…I kept it slow.

For the sake of this article, working “slow” means focusing on one operation at a time and meditating back to it when you get distracted. I supposed it is the core of the practice of any meditation, but I am interested in seeing what the outcome would be if I applied it to my very distracted and multi-tasking mental state. Would I get more work done? Would I feel more or less stressed? Would I be happier?

These are all questions that quickly entered into my sense of consciousness. While I believe it’s important to have less stress and anxiety for my longevity…I’ve also got a lot of shit to do, so whatever is best for my productivity is what will be best for me. To kick off my slow week, I’m writing this article. This “slow” week will focus on 5 key things:

• I will complete one action at a time.
• I will take a breathe and pause before I speak.
• Take the time I need to finish tasks the correct and complete way.
• I will enjoy eating and drinking slow.
• I will not rush others.

I wonder if my family will feel this change and respond to it and what that response will be. Or if it will just be my own internal self that will make a shift in the way I respond and think. My hypothesis is that this will make my work better, me more productive, mindful, and less stressed when the week is done. I will definitely do a recap to report my findings.