Holiday Slowdown

My article on the top ten ways to slow down this holiday season has found resonance in quite a few places. It seems we become so harried this time of year. And yet it is the season of light where the Earth is the darkest.

So as a reminder here are ten simple ways to live the power of slow in shorthand. The great news is you can apply them all year. There’s no time like the present to give them a whirl!

1. Create gadget-free spaces. Don’t talk to the hand. Talk face-to-face with other people.

2. Try snail mail. Write a thank-you letter, not an email.

3. Busy is a mindset. Try saying the words “I have time.”

4. Disengage from clock combat. Instead of watching it like a hawk, embrace it like a dove.

5.  Manage expectations. If Little Johnny’s not getting that $1,000 mountain bike, don’t choose Christmas morning to tell him.

6. Eat mindfully. You are what, and how, you eat.

7. Banish multitasking. It will wear you thin in the long-run. Studies show it does not save you time (nor is it neurologically possible to focus on more than one thing at a time anyway so stop trying!).

8. Say ‘no’ with kindness. Acknowledge, show interest, then politely decline.

9. Slay your inner pig-dog, that procrastinating self that says ‘now is never a good idea’.

10. Embrace time abundance, the notion that you have more than enough time to do what is required to fulfill your ultimate purpose.

Your purpose this holiday? To celebrate with joy, love, and laughter. Share your time with someone else. It is the greatest gift you can give.

2 Comments

  1. jacobatthewell

    December 2, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Just discovered your slowie blog! It’s a movement! I am not alone!

    For those old enough to have watched the 70’s t.v. show Mash, the snooty Boston surgeon Major Winchester once said this: “I do one thing at a time, I do it extremely well, and then I move on to the next thing.” He’s the original slowie.

    1. powerofslow

      December 2, 2009 at 7:34 pm

      I remember the show well (and the tears I shed when it ended). Indeed, doing one thing at a time can liberate you as you realize that which must get done, will! Looking forward to learning more about you!

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