The art of slowing down

(or at least what I think it is.)

I have this undeniable ability to get distracted by the smallest things. I often find myself over enthusiastic about anything that comes about, and a lot of times the enthusiasm is so overwhelming that I forget what’s actually most important and valuable to me.

And it’s unhealthy.

Growing up, I was the cliché pain in the ass kid (I was cute though) and I believe part of that has followed me to this day. I wasn’t malicious or unruly, though. It was more that I was so quickly distracted or mesmerized by the next thing to jump in front of me that I bounced from idea to idea, topic to topic, activity to activity…

For instance: Right now I’m writing this post but I’ve closed the window 10 times to look for cool photos to add to the top ^^^^

As a culture we’re constantly bombarded with content. Everywhere you turn there’s some new piece of information that distracts or takes away from what you’re actually trying to accomplish. We’ve created an environment of half thoughts and poor execution because we (hopefully i’m not the only one that feels this way) continue to let anything and everything get in the way. We’re all wired differently but the fact of the matter is;

People, as a whole, are moving so fast that we don’t even have an opportunity to soak in what’s actually happening around us…

There’s not a time when I walk to my apartment door without checking every social network under the sun. Sitting through a meeting without responding to emails isn’t even an option anymore and I think it’s making me less intelligent.

Flipping the script.

So I decided to do something about it.

In the past month or so, I’ve forced myself to slow down. Literally everything that I do now, I try to do with passion and purpose, instead of just “doing to do.” So often I think we look at our days and engagements as checklists: Respond to emails, Call grandma, etc. We’ve created a habit of not putting all of our thought and being into the activity at hand and it’s ultimately killing our potential.

To help me slow down I’ve created a list of things that I need to focus on:

• Understand the purpose before the execution: Before I hit send on an email, respond to a text from my dad, or even decide what to have for dinner I am forcing myself to truly think about what my purpose is for the given activity, and what I hope to accomplish. Instead of halfway thinking about something, I try to fully wrap my head around the idea, before execution.
• Stay engaged: Stop letting anything and everything get in the way. Whether it’s sitting down for lunch, watching a movie, or talking with friends- I’m going to fully engage in what i’m doing and that will allow me to be the best at what i’m doing in that moment, instead of falling short at everything.
• Appreciate more: Anyone can relate to this… We’re so consumed with the hustle and bustle that we neglect the most important things in our lives. Whether it’s family, relationships, pets, WHATEVER- Appreciate the things you have in your life and let that motivate you. By taking a moment to slow down and appreciate my family, my job, my life, I truly feel enriched and empowered in a way like never before… There’s power in appreciation

So there’s my list and my first post. Maybe by putting this out there I will hold myself accountable to it.

This is me slowing down.