Go Slow to Go Fast

I love it when I hear something that I’ve heard before and all of a sudden it has powerful meaning to me.

Go-Slow-to-Go-FastI had this experience last week. I am wrapping up course work so that I can apply for my Professional Certified Coach credential and in one of my classes the instructor said “Go Slow to Go Fast”.

Five words that impacted me the minute I heard them.

Had I heard the expression before? Yes.

So why did they have such meaning in that moment?

Let me explain.

Maybe you can relate…I currently run three businesses one of which requires me to fly back and forth between CA and OR. I’m in a relationship. I have an active social life. I have a mom that’s getting older that I worry about. I have a couple health issues. And the list goes on.

Slow isn’t a word that enters my vocabulary very often.

I’m all about pushing, getting it done and powering through. Slow seems weak. Fast is powerful. Everything about our world today tells us we need to go fast.

And yet, fast has gotten me where I am today – feeling a bit burned out and overwhelmed.

So what if slow really is the way to go fast?

What would that look like?

I had to stop and really think about that for myself. I can’t speak for you, but here are just some of the ways “going slow” shows up for me:

• Making self care a priority. In fact, it’s a requirement.
• Not letting others dictate my schedule. Hint: That means saying “no” and also setting boundaries around responding to email or texts.
• Being okay with small steps instead of feeling like it all has to happen now. Yep, that requires patience…personally not my strongest virtue.
• Letting go of perfection and embracing the process. If I believe in mastery, and I do, then the process is the path to mastery.
• Turning off the phone, computer and TV so that I truly connect with my clients, friends, family and partner. Step away from the technology and join the living world…also known as being fully present.
• Spending more time in nature. For me, time in nature encompasses many things: self care, being present, connecting, spirituality and peace.
• Making incremental changes in my lifestyle to address my health issues. Probably the hardest place for me to go slow. If you’ve ever had a health setback you may understand the feeling of frustration associated with starting over and not being able to do the things you could do before. The reality is I can’t do those things right now. And the only way I’ll ever get back to that level of health and strength is by going slow.

I could give you more examples about what “going slow” means to me. I’m more interested in hearing what you think.

Do you agree with the concept “Go Slow to Go Fast”? What does “Going Slow to Go Fast” look like to you? I’d love to hear about it.