Momentum is the one thing I feel I must never lose in order to keep growing as a person and keep breaking my own inner boundaries. However, we live in a time whose tempo is sometimes unbearably fast, and I believe I’m not alone in feeling crushed by the race. This is by no means a reason to give up on our goals and aspirations in every aspect of our lives, but we most certainly need a way to slow down without constantly feeling that we have to catch up with the rest of the world.
Perhaps your own life has a different rhythm, but I have found a few strategies to achieve this slower pace without compromising my efficiency, and perhaps they will serve you well, too.
Setting the right milestones
It’s one thing to have vague goals in mind, such as “I wish to be healthier”, but a completely different one to write down specific, achievable, short and long-term goals you can actually monitor and measure. To illustrate, this health goal can be divided into literally hundreds of everyday choices, from how much water you should drink, to getting the right insulated bottle, all the way to buying the right groceries.
And each and every one of those little steps count as a milestone that yields for grander success. This gives you a greater sense of control so that you can actually allocate your time wisely, without wasting it on one, irrelevant segment and not devoting enough of it to something that truly matters for your goal.
Less digital, more social
Using the Internet to communicate is convenient, to say the least, but nowadays we use it for everything from shopping to staying informed on the events across the globe. As useful as this may be, we often spend too much of our precious time perusing through our social media feeds, and too little of it actually strengthening our bonds with our loved ones.
The best way to abandon this vicious circle is to set up a weekly coffee date with your closest friends, book a weekend getaway with your spouse, and go to social events that give you more face-time with those you love. Socialise the old-fashioned way, it’s good for the soul, and it definitely helps you be in the moment and slow down.
Plan ahead
In addition to setting short-term milestones, there are various things you can do to secure your future in order to be able to enjoy the present. We all work towards an independent, healthy old age, and the decisions we make now will shape our golden years. With the right plan, you won’t find yourself in a constant rush to make up for the lost time, because you’ve invested it in creating the right mindset.
If you don’t already have one, look for health and life insurance that will give you peace of mind for the years to come, and take the age pension income test in order to see what you can expect from your financials down the road. Then you can move on to opening your own savings account and similar strategies to further secure your future finances.
Keep learning
When you keep your mind and body nimble, you ensure that you can solve new problems that arise over time without feeling hindered. An open mind is the best tool for growth, so dedicate a portion of your every day to learn and practice new skills.
It can be something as simple as learning a new cooking method, or something challenging such as mastering a new language, but this learning-oriented mindset is essential to keeping up with the times while simultaneously slowing down to embrace new knowledge and skills.
Create your safe haven
Whether it’s a room in your own home, a bay window nook, or the local park, you should always have your little timeless spot where you can escape when things get particularly hectic. With the right ritual to accompany your little oasis, such as your favorite book, a tea set, or listening to a particular music piece, you can instantly erase the pressure modern times often place on our existence.
Make time for doing nothing, or doing the things that make you get lost in time, to be immersed entirely in that one activity you love most, whether it’s dancing, painting, walking, jogging, or singing. Find your physical and mental safe haven, and it will recharge your batteries to join the fast flow of our era.
Contributed by guest writer Zara Lewis.
Photo credits: Imgur