Shavonnah Roberts Schreiber | Founder and CEO – SNR Creative.
getty
You could say that I have an eye for trends. I’ve spent my career in sales and marketing noticing patterns and trends. Many are predictable, but lately I’ve noticed a trend that really surprises me.
It seems to me that many professionals are in a great hurry to get somewhere. For example, I was recently at an event that was packed with senior executives from around the world. What struck me in this group during several conversations was the pace at which people spoke and the pace of their movements; they all seemed rushed and rushed, despite the fact that we all voluntarily committed to participate in this event for a certain number of days.
I started thinking about this trend in the macro sense. The feeling of constantly running at super speed was not unique to that group of individuals. I see the sprint taking place across industries, professional roles, and even outside the workplace. But what are we rushing to and why?
I’ve come up with three reasons why I think everyone is in a hurry. These are my conclusions:
1. There is often pressure to achieve more.
As I mentioned, the event I attended had an experienced group of individuals. Still, I felt there was an unspoken pressure and need to achieve more and win more. Why? I don’t know, and I felt the people in that room didn’t know either. When I asked someone, they stared at me. They never thought of slowing down as an option on the table. This begs the question in my mind: is there just a pressure to achieve more, or are we, as a professional society, unnecessarily emphasizing speed?
2. Constant access to information can create the urge to act quickly.
We are all aware of the 24-hour news cycle at our fingertips. Whether you turn on the TV to catch the news or pull out your phone, it’s right in front of you. I believe this has created a rushed feeling in our society to also produce a work output once information comes to us. In some cases this may be necessary. For example, if there is a crisis and you are on the crisis communications team, you need to act quickly to get a response. But in most cases, our lives are not constantly in crisis.
Moreover, many of today’s professionals feel that way can’t get away from work. We have access to our email 24 hours a day. Our boss or colleague can reach us with a quick text or phone call. Much of today’s workforce has never had the luxury of being completely off the clock.
3. Some may fear that if they slow down, they will be left behind.
This is probably not true. If you choose to slow down, what are the real consequences? And where and by whom would you be left behind? I think if we never ask the question, we can’t answer it.
At the start of a new year, I have a proposition: What if professionals decide to slow down and commit to doing the things they want at a pace that’s manageable? What if you allow yourself to enjoy whatever you’re doing – and do it with intention? Is your life getting better? And by “better” I mean, would it be richer and fuller? Would you be able to stay present in the experience? My hypothesis is that we would be better – significantly.
Here are three things I personally do – and you should consider doing too – to slow down and still achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the coming year:
1. Spend the first 15 minutes of the day in silence.
Whether you use this time to meditate, set an intention, or take a daily vow, it’s crucial to commit to your mental health. I’ve found just 15 minutes to sit with myself and checking in at the start of the day can work wonders in helping me maintain a calmer rhythm throughout the day.
2. Turn off audible notifications, especially for your email.
Believe it or not, even if you don’t check the notification, the constant chimes and beeps can fuel the activity frenzy. But remember: the message will still be there if you wait to check it. Not always being immediately available for everything that demands your attention can help you focus on the messages that matter. Go to the other when you can. By turning off your audible notifications, you can allow yourself to set your agenda for the day without the almost constant interruptions of an email, tweet, text, news alert, etc.
3. Create a ‘digital sunset’ in the evening.
A digital sunset means you set a specific time of day, say 8 p.m., when you pause your screen time. This means no scrolling, texting, etc. By creating a “digital sunset”, you are consciously invoking a timeout and giving yourself time to reflect, reconnect with those around you and charge of the day. Don’t worry, if you’re currently using your phone to take notes for the next day, you can still do that. Maybe try using plain paper and a pen or pencil.
While the above tactic may seem overly simplistic, I believe that by hitting pause and assessing your habits and what’s important to you, you’ll not only be able to manage your days much better, but you might also realize that it rushed pace was much ado about nothing in the first place.
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