Western society loves speed; especially in the corporate world. Leaders are constantly searching for efficiency and trying to save time and other resources to achieve greater profit. Faster is considered superior. There is even a term for this phenomenon called “social acceleration”.  This refers to the increasingly fast developments in technology, social change, and the overall pace of life. We are all experiencing first-hand how everything moves faster in hopes that we gain more time to do the things we value most.

How has that been working for you? Has your smartphone with its hundreds of apps improved your quality of life? Or has your 24/7 availability pushed you to your limits? What is your or your employer’s desire to rush things costing you?  If you tend to want to rush things along and lack the patience to let things unfold naturally, you might stress yourself and others out unnecessarily, even to the point of burnout. 

Letting go of the desire to rush things is the fourth part in this series: Six Things We Need to Learn to Let Go of to Live a More Balanced Life (based on the philosophy of Taoism):

1. 1. The past
   2. The future
   3. People
   4. The desire to rush things
   5. Excess
   6. Ego

If you are struggling to keep up in this fast-paced world and are burning the candle at both ends (I have been there myself), I invite you to take a breath and slow down so that you can return to the natural rhythm of life and be more present. Let go of the need to rush things. When you are ready, try a few of these things to slow down:

• • Take a walk in nature
  • Turn off your phone or set it on “do-not-disturb”
  • Block time on your calendar for yourself
  • Set priorities and stick to them – if it is not a priority, don’t waste time on it!
  • Do an activity that you love and that is good for you

Practicing mindfulness and presence takes time and effort. I encourage you not to approach it as another task. It should be quality time that you enjoy and look forward to – without rushing in or out of it!

As a certified coach, I help professionals with mindful transformations. I have created my signature program, SOAR (the acronym stands for the four phases of the program: Seek, Outline, Awaken, and Relearn). Contact me to learn more at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com.