Something that I am learning and working on currently is to slow down. This might seem weird to some people. It also might be confusing in some ways. I do not necessarily mean slowing down in terms of getting school work or tasks done in general, or walking. What I mean is that I am learning I do not have to rush in general. For whatever reason, perhaps societal pressure or stress, I sometimes find myself rushing, pushing myself to do things, complete things, or make decisions that I know I am not ready to do yet. Deep down I know that I am not ready, but I feel like I have to accomplish things just because others are, whether it’s my peers or people on the internet. What I am slowly realizing is that I actually do not need to rush. In fact, this rush to achieve and meet standards that do not even exist, that I made up for myself, that are ridiculously hard and sometimes unachievable, is not productive for me.
What I am learning is that if I slow down, literally take a breath, and think through each situation, then I am more likely to make the choices I need to make. I am able to trust myself and make the decision that I need at that moment. The more I stick to my own timeline and stop comparing myself to others, the more successful I will be. In the end, I will get more done and I will be happier. Everyone’s journey and path are different and that is OK. I can slow down and still be successful. I can slow down and still achieve my goals. I am in no way saying that motivation is bad, or working at a fast pace is not productive. For a lot of people, it is productive. Honestly, for me, in some situations, it is. However, in general, I am learning that it is much more productive to sometimes take a step back, and just look at the whole picture, breathe, and trust myself. This doesn’t mean stop what I am doing or working on completely, it just means in each moment, especially the stressful ones, I am able to take a step back and not rush through each thought, choice, or decision. The more I learn to slow down and the more I stop in those moments and trust myself, I believe the farther I will get. It isn’t always easy, but I am finding that the more I slow down, process, think, and listen to myself, the more I understand myself and the more I can accomplish.