Slowing Down- not a sign of Underachievement

Posted by Alex on January 27, 2010 under Blog News | Be the First to Comment

Work seems to dictate our lives today. The mornings start with the sole goal of reaching the workplace on time and the evenings, most often than not result in stretching for work with some more of it spilling over the weekend. This leaves us with very little time to relax, enjoy ourselves or spend time with our family and friends leading to stress and frustration. That’s not all, it also has its own ill effects on our health, compelling us to run away from it all. It also leads to decrease in the interest in work and affects the performance.

This lack of concentration and enthusiasm can be cured by taking frequent breaks and slowing down a bit by doing one bit at a time. Yet in the current market scenario, slowing down is seen as being incompetent and inefficient. To succeed in one’s role today, one is expected to be super-efficient, multi-tasking, and what not! But it is not so. One can be an achiever, multi-task, and work efficiently by taking small breaks and de-stressing oneself. All that it requires is good time management and planning. By slowing down, you get time to think, brainstorm, get new ideas, and also energy to work. Research shows that rushing through work affects the productivity to a huge extent as it does not leave time to think and reflect on what has been done. In our rush to complete the tasks assigned to us, we stop thinking creatively and are easily distracted.

Slowing down helps in reducing errors and helps you remain calm under pressure. But slowing down in today’s world is not easy unless you are prepared on how to do it. You need to start off by learning when and how to say ‘no’, as accepting all the tasks will leave you with no time to relax. The next step would be to take a few breaks for coffee with colleagues to discuss the last match or movie. Take time to step out and lunch instead of gobbling it in front of your machine. Also, make it a point to exercise on a regular basis- be it a jog in the morning or some meditation and yoga; it acts a good stress-buster. Slowing down is an important factor that helps you lead a meaningful life.