This week, what a week it has been again!
Tuesday was a crazy day. I worked for four hours before turning my head away from the screen.
So much for the 25-minute Pomodoro technique, stopping only for a short break, working another 1 1/2 hours, and then an online art class in the afternoon.
What joy to take time away from the shackles of my desk and sketch and paint.
I remind myself and my family that sometimes we need to slow down to go fast. It's a paradox, I know, but it works.
We live in a fast-paced, frantic world, and we are so busy trying to do more, be more and want more that we forget about the joy of simply being.
We cram so much into a short space we forget to breathe.
Stepping out of the office to make a cup of tea, walk around the garden, go for a walk, or simply be helps us find our natural rhythm.
The two hours I have on Tuesday afternoon give me the calm I need in an otherwise chaotic working environment.
It's about being present and making the most of who and where I am now.
I chase down the future, the next day, the next holiday, and race to the weekend then late Sunday afternoon with that Smonday feeling, wondering how I get here so fast.
The older you get, the quicker time passes; friends, family and my colleagues express the same sentiment: how fast time flies.
How quickly a grandchild has grown, how fast January went, and that's why it's essential to live in the moment, a statement I am trying to live up to.
But when you're working, there is little time to do everything you want to do.
There aren't enough hours to enjoy life without work getting in the way.
Slowing down enables us to disconnect from work and take time to breathe, sit back, and relax.
Recently, a customer reprimanded me for a slow response.
To give some context, the call came in the morning about a technical issue.
I immediately responded with an email and a follow-up email in the afternoon with the information I was waiting for from a supplier.
I pointed out that I am doing things slowly rather than wasting time writing worthless emails that don't offer solutions or updates.
He muttered, " Well, you know we need quick responses, " but I reasoned that I could only give the information I had available at the time.
And it got me thinking about creativity, and I wrote in my daily journal the following:
I wonder if we weren't all so busy doing and feeling under so much pressure to meet deadlines; how much more creative the the world would be.
Imagine the creativity flow if we were free to think openly and with clarity, carefully digesting information given to us without feeling under immense pressure to make a decision quickly because of time constraints!
The process of slowing down allows us to take stock of our experiences, and while we manage one task at a time, we can give our focus and ensure that it is done well and not rushed.
But how many company employees are allowed to work like that?
That's why having those couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon helps me switch off because I am completely absorbed in doing what I'm doing.
I look forward to the weekends so I can create.
It offers solace and joy without the pressure of deadlines and commitments.
I think the older I get, the less inclined I am to rush, and this year has seen me get stuck into time-blocking without feeling the need to rush.
I'm going with the current instead of against it, hoping the flow will take me to a different place rather than trying to control my life into happening the way I think it should; no mean feat for someone who is a confessed overthinker and control nut (over certain things)
Watching my children develop into fine young men and ensuring that memorable moments we experience together, we do so purposefully.
And a reminder that making the most of those moments makes the whole.
Being in the here and now allows us to experience each moment, and if we are focussing on the future - the next break, weekend, or holiday we endanger the possibility of making the most of now and living in the moment.
Daily journaling, yoga, or a daily walk make me feel grounded and in the moment.
Life is fantastic despite all that's going on, and if I was to divulge what's going on in my life right now, you'd raise your eyebrows with scepticism.
But seeing in print what I know I should be doing helps me.
That's why I read self-help blogs and books because, as human beings, it is our job to be the best we can be for ourselves and our children.
Slowing down helps me see what's around me to enjoy and appreciate, which brings me back to the beginning of the essay: not allowing manic days and holidays to take over so we forget what's important.
Until next time, go with the flow.