The Slow Movement

Have you heard of The Slow Movement? It began with Carlo Petrini’s 1986 protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome. It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better.

The Slow philosophy is not about comparing the tortoise and the hare, and advocating for the tortoise. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Rather than count your days, hours and minutes, why not slow down and savor them?
We’d like to propose a Slow Work Movement.  Banish the false fear that pausing, even for a moment, will set you even further behind. Instead of diving in and having to do it a second time the next week, slow down and get it right the first time.
Here are some suggestions for slowing down:

• Focus – get clear on where you are headed, what is your destination? Then get relentless about getting to it. Stay focused on making the right decisions and prioritizing where you spend your precious time. Pause every day to remind yourself of where you are going and what is most critical to get you there.
• Savor – this means enjoying something completely. Practice savoring by taking time and slowing down to enjoy a magnificent meal, a fabulous friend, a marvelous meeting, a stirring scene or whatever you love. Build more strolling, meandering, moseying, relishing and puttering into your life. The enjoyment will inspire you to new levels of speed!
• Slow – is the new Fast. Faster and smaller has become a way of life. But in order to move fast with precision and purpose, slowing down is precisely what we need to do. This is a tip from race car experts, when they are taking a turn they adjust their speed. Consider the appropriate speed to accomplish what needs done. Remaining at full throttle and burning out is not how you win the race.

Whether or not you are an advocate of the Slow Movement, we encourage you to consider your pace. Are you moving too fast to get where you are going? Focus, Savor and practice Slow to move faster and accomplish more than you ever dreamed.