“…they never see what they’re too much of a hurry to look for”
― The Phantom Tollbooth
Can procrastination lead to more creative thinking? Does slowing down make you more productive? These are some of the questions I’ve been exploring over the past four years. Partly out of curiosity, but mostly out of necessity. Not long after becoming a working mom for the first time, I became overwhelmed and unhappy. I felt like I was failing at being a boss and being a mom. My situation was unsustainable — I had to make a big change.
Before kids, I was a bonafide workaholic. I love to work, and since I worked from home, I could work at all hours of the day (and I did!). Then I had my daughter. Everything changed. I thought I could balance working from home and caring for her full-time, that I could keep up with my manic schedule (I’d been pretty good at it up until that point). But being a new mom comes with a lot of unexpected challenges. I wasn’t prepared for how tired, stressed and strapped for time I’d become. After about a year of that insane juggle, I decided to slow down. It was one of the healthiest decisions I’ve ever made.
I don’t mean I quit work and took on a lot less responsibilities. I think that slowing down means something a little different to everyone. I also realize that there is a privilege in choosing to slow down. For some of us, it may not be a choice at all. It’s going to look different for everyone. I needed to reevaluate my relationship to work, being busy and feeling accomplished. How could I rework my day so that I felt like I was making time for important things but not at the cost of my wellbeing?
My first steps were logistical and practical: I finally hired a business manager who helped me create systems and accountability for my team (which reduced my workload and my stress), then I started batching my time (emails, meetings, calls, etc.), then I carved out tiny daily rituals that calmed me and inspired me (morning tea, afternoon walks, listening to a playlist). Nothing was perfect. Life was still messy and chaotic, but having these as a solid base for my day gave me the time and space to recognize important things. It also helped me fall back in love with being a noticer — which helps me be more creative.
That’s what we want to explore this month. How can slowing down help us be more creative and productive? What is our relationship with busyness? Does slowing down make you more creative? Let’s find out!
*I was recently on the amazing podcast Slow Stories — a podcast that pioneered the slow content movement. You can hear Rachel and I talk about this topic in more detail.
