Slowing Down Actually Sped Me Up

Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

Changing the Channels

Have you ever noticed that you often get really engaged with the television shows that you just sort of stumble upon? One minute you’re surfing through the thousands of channels available to you and the next minute you’re thoroughly engulfed in a documentary or news story.

You had no intention of watching the show but before you know it, you’re watching a show on Animal Planet or The History Channel or National Geographic and you just can’t turn away.

Sometimes you’re so engaged that you even put down your phone or tablet and just get lost in the show.

The Sunday Run

This morning I went out for a run.

I hadn’t really planned on going for run today but when I decided to skip golf this morning I found myself just having an easy Sunday morning (you know, like The Commodores sang about?)

Sure, I ran all 31 days last month so it’s not like going for a run was something new but it just wasn’t a major commitment or something that was on my “to do” list today. The amzing thing was how easily I ran.

I broke the 9:00 per mile pace which is a much faster pace than I had run all last month. I didn’t leave my house planning to run at a quick pace but, for some reason, I just felt good out there. Now an 8:56 pace is nothing impressive and it won’t set any records but that’s not the point. The fact is I went out and didn’t over think my run. I never analyzed my gait or my breathing. I felt good from the very first step and never really checked my time or pace along the way.

The less I thought about it, the better I did. When you think about it, I actually sped up because I slowed down. I was thinking about less. I wasn’t rushing to get done. It wasn’t just one more check mark in a month-long challenge.

I guess you could say I was more focused on the activity and not the results.

Grab Your Remote

Imagine what could happen to your business if you allowed yourself to disconnect every once in a while. What if you just went out and did what you know how to do without overthinking anything? If you just scrolled through the menu until something looked good.

If you stopped checking your clock to make sure you were on pace and just allowed your body and mind to react, what do you think might happen?

When you find yourself “flipping through the mental channels” in your head and decide to get comfortable with the show that comes on the screen in front of you, it’s amazing at how much you will enjoy the story.

Running isn’t hard. When you really break it down, it’s just about putting one foot in front of the other.

My guess is, you’ve been doing what you do for a while now too. When you break it all down it’s pretty simple, isn’t it?

Build relationships, solve problems and have fun.

Photo Credit: Derek Gavey via Creative Commons