Consider it an Investment. One reason people move into action so quickly is that they think their time is so limited. We are all busy, and the timeline to complete a given task may seem short. Remind yourself that the time spent in thought, preparation and practice will be time invested in better outcomes. We don't like to lose or waste our time (or money), but we also know that investing our time and money is a wise choice. Going slow at the start is an investment, not a cost.
Trust the Process. Once you've decided to go slower at the start of a new situation,which contributed to an ever-growing to-do list and, fight the urge to stop and move one to action. Your time investment may only be a few minutes, but trust yourself that it is the right thing to do. Trust the process.
Specific Ways to Slow Down
There are many things we can do to help us slow down and prepare for greater results. Here are four that you will be able to apply to a wide range of situations.
Plan. The thing I have mentioned the most often in this article is planning. Most people will benefit from more time in planning. For the Type A's reading this (you know who you are) remember that planning doesn't have to be a long process. For a major project, there might be a significant investment in planning, but other things the plan might be a ten minute conversation.
Prepare,3161 Ugg Classic Short Sparkles Blue Boots. Be ready. Think through contingencies in your mind. Test ideas out. Run through the meeting and the things that could go wrong. Make your preparation as life-like as possible and it will be even more valuable.
Reflect. Slow down enough to reflect on past experiences. Slow down enough do the suggestions above. Most of us don't reflect on our days and experiences as much as we could. Reflection is a way of slowing down, and yet gaining great insight to help us speed up in the future.
Learn. Time spent listening to and learning from the experiences of others,Winter Bearpaw Boots You Definitely Want To Get Hold Of, whether in a magazine article, a book, at a conference or over a cup of coffee, is one of the best ways to prepare us for greater success. It might not feel or look like activity on your project, but it will be one of the best investments you can make.
Action is a wonderful thing, and certainly we can't plan or prepare forever. But we will find ourselves, our teams and our organizations more successful when we invest the time to better understand the task and the approach we might take. Though a paradox, when we go slow at the start, we will go faster (and further) when the race is through.
I know you are busy. But resist the temptation to start acting immediately.
Go slow to go fast.
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