FAMILY TALK Instead of mad dash, try slow stroll
What is the speed of your family life? 55 mph? 95 mph? Is every morning a mad dash out the door and every afternoon and evening filled with activities to which you are rushing? Would you call your family's pace of life “frenetic, fast and frenzied?”
Most of the time, I'm all about going fast and getting things accomplished. But recently I discovered an organization that made me rethink my “go fast” attitude. It's called The World Institute of Slowness in Norway, and they are committed to slowing the world down. Sounds crazy, right? But what they say on the site makes sense. Like these suggestions for slowing down:
Don't hurry. If you must, hurry slowly. Rushing always makes you less productive and produces inferior results.
Don't multitask.
Multitasking is a bad way to do nearly everything.
Work Life Balance:
Countless studies show that the harder and longer you work, the less productive you become. Set yourself clear boundaries as to when work time finishes and your free time starts. Stick to these boundaries; stop yourself from peeking at your emails at nighttime or during the weekend.
My dad seemed to have this concept down. I don't recall seeing Dad hurry or rush anywhere. He arrived early to every event. He rose two hours before work and spent time enjoying coffee and reading his Bible. While I've copied Dad's morning routine, I'm afraid I spend far more time “in a hurry” than Dad ever did.
I know it sounds strange to encourage busy people to live slowly, but that's what I'm doing. At least for
this week. Try NOT hurrying and rushing. Leave for an appointment with extra time to get there. Get up a little earlier in the morning and don't rush. I'm going to work on going slow(er) this week, and if you join me in this experiment, let me know how it went. Ready. Set. Slow!