Daily connections - Slowing down

Sometimes I think there are only two instructions we need to follow to develop and deepen our spiritual life: slow down and let go.
( Oriah Mountain Dreamer )

• Time is our most coveted resource because of its scarcity. And what we do when we want more time? We rush. But we don't know that rushing hinders our capacity to be intellectually and emotionally available, and capture the opportunities that surface in the present moment. Chronic rushing through a never ending to-do list feeds anxiety and heightens stress levels. Due to the epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, released in the brain during stressful periods, our brains get “hooked” on the stimulation of activity. Our bodies become addicted to rushing and our minds switch into autopilot with everything of high importance and needing to get accomplished quickly. We start rushing when rushing is not necessary, or multitasking ourselves into ineffectiveness. This is particularly true for type A executives and leaders who tend to get caught in the cost of time ideal, making everything time-sensitive and urgent, when in fact, only a few matters at hand take true priority. Research from a publication in 2015 titled “To Multitask or Not, That is the Question” notes that multitasking can reduce effectiveness of even the most refined brains. According to Dr. John Medina, author of the New York Times bestseller “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School,” being interrupted during a task can lead to 50 percent or more errors. Juggling multiple tasks at once is ineffective compared to immersing yourself mindfully and cultivating solutions strategically and efficiently. As a culture, we tend to value doing over being. This is especially true when we have multiple tasks to complete under pressure. Yet, while there are some things that take priority to reach our goals, there are those things we simply do to feel or be perceived as productive. Watch for these traps, triggers, and time wasters:

1. excessive multi-tasking
2. trying to look busy
3. worrying about being judged by those engaging in office gossip and negativity
4. measuring your progress simply in deadlines met
5. regularly working through your lunch break.

• If you confuse task completion with value creation, or personal transformation, it is easy to neglect the importance of transformation to achieve the results you desire. What are the steps to keep you focused, but re-align your activity with your desired results. Step 1: Define your ideal outcome and the kind of life you wish to live. Then ask yourself, before any major decision, is this in alignment with my ideal life, is this something i want to do? If the answer is yes, you are on the right way. Step 2: What is the definition of success for you? If you do not define your success, most probable you will adopt somebody else definition. Step 3:Observe your daily actions and identify the ones that help or hinder your success. Be objective, do not cry over it, just shift focus and re-align. Step 4: What set of skills you need to achieve your version of success? What you already got and what you need to master in order to live your success consistently? Step 5: Expand your strengths. Do not abandon the skills and strengths you already have for those you don’t as they can help actualize what you wish to achieve. Remember that all qualities you need to succeed reside in the present with you, and whoever gets to the present moment first and fully, wins.