Slowing Down to Speed Up Your Success

It almost seems like a contradiction that you sometimes need to ‘slow down’ your life in order to achieve success faster.

We live in a fast-paced society with instant notifications, high-speed internet connections, 5-step plans for anything and everything – and so on.

People want results fast and they want them now. Preferably yesterday, if possible.

This constant need for fast results, etc. has led to an increasingly stressed out society. If you looked back a couple of decades ago, people didn’t have mobile phones or social media.

Yet, they seemed happier. Sure they had their challenges, but society wasn’t this stressful or dysfunctional. One can even allude to the fact that the advent in technology has caused more problems than it has solved.

But that’s not the issue here. What we’re concerned about is how we approach success.

Why going fast can actually slow you down

If you want fast results, you’ll be stressed out and be sabotaging your efforts.

For example, someone who wants to lose weight fast may drastically reduce his calories. Initially, the weight will drop off, but beyond a certain point, his body will go into ‘starvation mode’ and stubbornly cling on to its fat stores.

Now he has hit a weight loss plateau and can’t seem to lose weight no matter what he does. He’s losing time… and his results are abysmal.

However, if he aimed for a reasonable caloric deficit at the start, his initial weight loss would have been slower BUT he’d not hit a plateau. He’d lose weight every week and achieve his ideal weight much faster.

The same applies to most other goals.

Trying to build your body by increasing the weight too fast? You’re courting injury.

Expecting your business to make money too fast? You’ll end up quitting when the results are slow to come.

Slow and steady wins the race here.

What you can do to slow down

It’s natural to want to do as much as you can, but you have to approach things sensibly. You’ll need to give your best effort within reason. Create a plan of action and go about it in a systematic, unrushed way.

Practice deep breathing twice a day to calm your mind and body. Too many people are frantic these days. They’re always in a rush and being busy without being productive. Not going anywhere, but they can’t wait to get there.
Calm your mind with breathing and meditation. Also note that music is the space between the notes. Going too hard for too long can lead to burnout.
Make sure you take a 1-2 day break at least once every 3 weeks. Some people are so driven that they work daily.
Sometimes, you need to take a step backwards to take two forwards.
Give yourself permission to take a break from work, social media, the world, etc. Retreat into yourself and find solitude. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed you are after the break and you’ll be able to considerably increase your output at work when you’re back.
Eliminate the unnecessary tasks, commitments, and activities in your life. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. The less you have on your plate, the easier it will be to focus.
You may wish to declutter your home, office, and even your mobile phone. Success in life isn’t always about how much more you do but also about how much less you focus on.
Spend time in nature if it helps you feel better. Like they say, you need to stop to smell the roses. Practicing mindfulness is another fantastic way to slow down.
Countless people eat while watching TV or gobble up a sandwich in front of the computer as they work. They barely taste their food because they’re trying to get more done.
Avoid mindlessness. You must slow down to the point where you are aware of your surroundings and what you’re doing. Mindfulness will give you a sense of purpose, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

You’ll end up becoming more focused in life, and a by-product of that is increased output and a better life.

You can achieve success by slowing things down. That’s what the children’s story about the tortoise and the hare was all about. Slow and steady wins the race.