Taking Time

“I’m in a hurry to get things done…I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die…I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”

You know the song – and I bet it rings true.  Most of the time, if you stop and really THINK, you’re in a hurry but really don’t know why.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with being in a hurry. But mentally (and even spiritually – but that’s a different blog post), being in a hurry means:

• you might be missing something
• you are not fully present now
• you’re probably also multi-tasking to get more done (and you almost never do)
• you didn’t plan well
• your results won’t be 100%
• you perhaps didn’t choose – or aren’t committed – to the task that is making you hurry

Think back to a time you were hurrying. How did you feel?

If you just snorted and thought, “I’m always in a hurry!”…that’s very telling.

In a well-developed life, you find time to focus, and for silence, rest, relaxation, and thinking. In an overly stuffed life, one that isn’t well-planned or well-thought out, find yourself constantly in reaction mode. The fires, emergencies, and other people’s priorities take precedence over what you actually want to do (if you stopped long enough to think about it).

Being in a hurry means, in many cases, giving up control of your time and resorting to reacting. And time is necessary for thoughtful answers, responding, creativity, and choice.

Get Personal

As a business owner, work becomes life which flows back into work and affects seemingly every aspect of life, right?  If you’re always in a hurry, you might:

• Forget important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)
• Not take time to actually use the camper you bought
• Not fulfill promises you make to your kids, spouse, or partner
• Live at the beach – but never actually go sit in the sand and just BE
• Have vacation days available, but feel like you can’t take them

The tragedy of being in a hurry is a life that is NOT well lived. Time is, ironically, wasted. But more importantly, so are energy, enthusiasm, and focus.

My request to you

Next time you’re in a hurry, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I doing something I want to be doing or am I fulfilling an obligation?
• How does my body feel right now (breath, posture, vision, muscles)?
• Did I fail to plan?
• Have I even stopped long enough to think about what I’m doing right now?

In that moment of awareness (and asking these questions will bring you to that awareness, even if only briefly), take a really deep breath. Take another one.

And ask yourself, “How can I slow down, even for a moment, to be more present now?”

Don’t know where to start? Let us help! Contact us at [email protected] or (704) 553-8082. Small changes equal BIG results!