Is Slow The New Fast?

We have become a generation that prides itself on the quick and the instant. We live in a fast-paced, driven, 24/7-society full of power-walking, power-talking workaholics - where even Madonna sleeps with a BlackBerry stashed under her pillow and everyone else tries to squeeze 31 hours of work into a 24-hour work day. We try to rise to the top by putting in longer hours, eating and drinking faster than the neighbors, and buying everything in bulk from diapers and Cross pen sets to condiments and clothing. Full on is how we like it because by speeding our motions up, we think we can get more done.

Quite surprisingly, experts are saying differently. They think lowering one’s work tempo actually makes you more productive. How could this happen? The more you speed your motion up, the more wear and tear you put your cardiovascular system through. You put your immune system and your long-term health in general at risk. For this reason, it’s important to slow down. By slowing down, you give your body time to recover from stress and the frenetic work-out it’s been through. Then, too, multi-tasking - which is essentially switching back and forth between tasks - is more likely to distract you, thereby bogging your work down. Better work, not longer hours, is what bosses look for.

So, how do you make yourself more productive?

1. Go workplace slow. Take your time speaking, smiling, and interacting with your colleagues.

2. Do only one task at a time.

3. When you fall short of a deadline, do not run around shrieking, “This was due yesterday.” Rather, sit down, inform the parties concerned the task took longer than you thought it would, and then get to work finishing what you can.

4. Stop automatically equating minutes worked to dollars earned; put that money clip wallet down! Worrying about your finances while you do your work is not likely to help you finish your work quicker.

5. Focus and organize. Take 10 minutes of each day planning. Grab a Cross Pen and write down what you need to finish for the day and how you plan to accomplish these.

Remember, just because some supermarkets are open 24/7 doesn’t mean you have to work the same hours as well. To be more productive, you don’t have to work faster than the speed of light. Don’t work harder; work smarter.