The Joy of Slowing Down

I’ve been in a hurry most of my life.

I was in a hurry to grow up (at age 4), get married (at 21), and start a family (at 23).  As an accountant I prided myself on preparing an income tax return in four hours when the person who prepared it the year before took ten.  I want to finish writing this blog as quickly as I can so I can start on my next project.  I even justify vacations with the thought that I’ll be much more productive when I return.

Rereading the above paragraph I feel tired already.

But last Thursday I tried something different.  For one entire day, I slowed down.

I had an appointment at 8:00 am with my dental hygienist.  Her office is a sixteen-minute drive from my home.  I usually allow fourteen minutes because I don’t want be early and then have to wait. If traffic is light, and if every traffic light cooperates, I conceivably can complete the drive in fourteen minutes.  It actually happened once.

But last Thursday I left my home at 7:32 am, allowing myself twenty-eight minutes.  I arrived twelve minutes early.  That felt unusual, so I tried to relax in my car, with partial success.  Then I walked slowly from the parking garage to the elevator, enjoying the breeze, the flowers, and my relaxed pace.  I arrived at the dental office five minutes ahead of schedule and looked in a mirror to be sure this stranger was actually me.

I felt totally at peace throughout my visit.  This was a new experience.  Back in my car I figured I had just enough time to rush to my office for a few minutes before heading downtown for an appointment at my bank.  Then I remembered I had invited a friend for dinner and Trader Joe’s was nearby, so I drove to Trader Joe’s instead.

I bought a bouquet of flowers for the evening, as well as a few of my guest’s favorite foods.  Then I stopped at home to put the flowers in a vase before heading downtown.

After the bank meeting I drove to Westwood for lunch with my younger son.  I remained relaxed throughout my entire day, which was a significant change from my normal “rush” mode.

What a nice day last Thursday turned out to be – my very first day of slowing down.

Did I accomplish as much as I might have?  That’s not the right question.

Did I enjoy my day more than I otherwise might have?  Absolutely.

For one entire day I experienced the joy of slowing down, and I recommend it to you.  And you don’t have to slow down all at once.  You can start now, or later, and take your time doing it.  In other words, you don’t have to hurry.

I think I’ll go back to bed now for a few minutes.  Then I’ll be ready for my calm, seven-minute drive to work.

Alan