We all know that “slow and steady wins the race,” but as we go about our lives, we can easily get caught up in a frantic state of rushing, hurrying, and sprinting that isn’t sustainable and is often counterproductive.
In this second quarter of the year, consider the words of St. Francis de Sales: “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” If those words led you to enjoy a deep, cleansing breath, or you pictured the relief a slower pace might bring you, read on.
We tend to rush and hurry out of a desire to check all the boxes on our to-do list, out of a wish to uphold perceived expectations, and because we feel like there’s not enough time in the day to tackle what we believe we need to get done. However, such hasty action and a frantic pace might not actually be leading to an increase in productivity, and it’s surely leading to an increase in error and stress.
When the tasks of life feel persistently urgent, our days feel steeped in stress. With a few tweaks in our daily strategy, however, we can slow down and carefully nurture our lives and the lives of those around us. We can approach each day just like the fabled tortoise—slow and steady.
Let’s understand “steady.” Just because one spends one’s time frantically in motion, buzzing from one task to another, doesn’t mean one is making progress in the most important areas of life. Strategically choosing to devote calm, focused attention to the most important things and carefully doing one thing at a time almost always leads to better long-term results and surely to a more peaceful existence.
Determining what’s most important for you and the best investment of your time is key. Rather than continuing to hurry about, carve out screen-free quiet time for yourself to think about the big picture of your life and your fundamental goals and priorities. Take time to focus on your spiritual well-being, your roles and responsibilities, ways to improve, and habits you’d like to foster.
As you go about each day, strategically think through the patterns of your energy levels. For example, I tend to have the most mental energy for creative tasks in the early morning hours, so I set aside that time accordingly. Conversely, I tend to experience a lull in mental energy in the late afternoon, so I save that time for more mindless tasks such as folding laundry and straightening my home. Some people feel a burst of energy in the evening hours and see that as their best opportunity to engage in creative work. Take notice of what’s true for you and plan your days to make the most of your energy levels.
Sometimes, we get caught up in a flurry of less important tasks in a conscious or unconscious effort to avoid facing the higher priorities. Recognizing one’s priorities and admitting to tendencies toward avoidance can help simplify the list of what actually needs to be done.
Finally, embrace a calm spirit as you go about your day. When you refrain from the hurry—from frantically running from one task to the next, from looking busy but not really accomplishing all that much—the world tends to slow down around you. Refrain from multitasking, enjoy the present moment, carefully and methodically do a good job at the singular task at hand, refine your focus, and truly slow down.
With a calm spirit and a clear mind, you’ll likely find that slow and steady really does win the race.
