If you’ve read my book or my blog posts, you know about my emphasis on slowing down to make changes. I’ve been thinking about the many ways that slowing down is beneficial. Below are six slowing down habits for you to consider (presented within the framework of Six Simple Rules for a Better Life.)
Use the ones you like as part of your ongoing list of life-improvement ideas. Focus on one new habit for 21 days. If you make one small change every 21 days (or even if you slow down further, for example, one new habit every month, or every six weeks), you’ll experience many positive changes this year, and an awesome number in the years ahead.
Slowing down to Be Happy
Making a list each night of that day’s achievements is a widely accepted habit for happiness. Slow down at the end of each day and make that list.
Slowing down to Be Nice
When you are with other people, slow down instead of multitasking. Forget your to do list. Put away your smartphone. Be present with them.
Slowing down to Be a Leader
Slow down each day to think about ways you can help to make the world a better place. Come up with specific things you can do. And then schedule time to do them.
Slowing down to Be Organized
Before you start your day, slow down to prioritize your to do list to make sure that you are scheduling time for the most important things.
Slowing down to Be a Lifelong Learner
When things don’t go the way you want them to, slow down and ask yourself, what can I learn from this situation? How can I achieve a different outcome next time?
Slowing down to Be Healthy
Rather than making grandiose New Year’s resolutions, slow down and work on a small change to your fitness regimen, for example, adding just a few minutes to your daily routine.
Along the lines of slowing down to be healthy, I want to share excerpts from something powerful that was posted as a comment after an interview I did for the wonderful Tiny Buddha blog. The following was from professional fitness trainer “Kgirl” after she read my answer about the importance of slowing down to produce real, lasting change:
“…This rings true for me… watching clients behave towards themselves in frustration and self-contempt until they make the connection that this life-truth can be found already within their world. I ask them to look at where else in their lives they notice they have been/are already in a process of change over a “long” period of time in order to reap the rewards… such as noticing that the baby they conceived three months ago is still “in process” and does not just arrive in the world the day after its creation… or the senior position they now hold in their company was not the first job they walked into after leaving school, and that everything they ever learned and became competent at was a result of much time spent developing the idea and practicing its execution. Speed… can also delay results, and in my work, this often looks like overtraining leading to fatigue, illness, injury; changing routine too quickly and creating more stress than before, then giving up through overwhelm…”
How are you slowing down to make real, lasting changes for a better life?
Please join the conversation…
Warmest regards,
David