SLOWING Down
The school year is in full swing at this point. Buses are running, lunches are being packed (I do not miss that!), assignments are being graded, Homecomings are happening. The cogs are turning. I was recently at a conference with school administrators from across the state. As I checked in with several of them, most said this school year is off to a good start. How refreshing was that to hear?! Which is so different than years before. I’m not sure what the change is but I’m relieved to know that is the case.
People didn’t seem as harried as in recent years. Perhaps that is because they were away at a conference, but I don’t think so necessarily. You can tell when people have an underlying level of anxiety or stress. There is an energy or an aura around them. I work hard to hold that Zen-like space when I’m with a group of people. I try to be the calming force in the storm (if there is a storm). (And I’m not always successful, it’s still something I’m practicing). In fact, I can think of one example, while I was at the conference that demonstrates just this very thing.
During this last trip for work, I also happen to be preparing for an upcoming statewide conference that I am chairing along with a handful of colleagues. So at various intervals at this event I needed to multi-task. There are schools of thought out there that multi-tasking is impossible and from my personal experience that is nearly always the case for me. And I believe that is the case for most of us. However, even though I’m well aware of my limitations in this arena, I continue to attempt at various times to test that skill and usually without much success. Which was the case in this instance. Even with the best of intentions, while trying to do too many things at one time I inefficiently and ineffectively completed a task that ended up costing me time and money. UGH! Lesson learned. I need to slow down.
I find that if we aren’t paying attention, life can just take over. The demands increase and the availability of time seems to decrease and before you know it all the plates are spinning out of control, and our tasks can become inefficient and ineffective just like I experienced. I ended up making more work for myself. No one needs extra work to do.
Once I slowed down and realized what I was doing, I noticed that others involved in this situation were also operating in that same way, frantically trying to get things off their plate and checked off their list (so essentially dumping on me). Fortunately, I was able slow down, regroup and collectively come up with a plan that ensured everyone was doing their part and it wasn’t unbalanced or overly burdensome for anyone of us. Success!
That experience got my attention and taught me a good lesson. I need to continue to pay attention and watch for the moments when I need to slow down. Goodness knows, there are plenty of opportunities to practice that every day. So I will be more aware of communicating when I can take on another task. It is hard, my friends, to consciously slow down (especially when you want or “need” to do all the things), but in the end it’s for the best and it could ultimately save time and money.
