To Take A Step Forward Sometimes We Need To Slow Down

In coaching, there are moments when I ask a question and the person pauses. Not because they don’t know. Because their mind is full. Full of meetings. Full of decisions. Full of things that still need doing.

When our minds are crowded, there’s no space to even ask the question properly, let alone hear the answer.

Carl Honoré, in In Praise of Slow, makes a simple point. Our culture teaches us that faster is always better. But when everything speeds up, something else starts to suffer. Our work. Our thinking. Our relationships.

The challenge is not to go slow all the time. The challenge is knowing when to slow down so you can move forward clearly again.

I see this pattern a lot with leaders who are stuck on a decision or problem. They try to solve it by thinking harder or working longer. Often what helps more is creating space for their thinking to settle. Over time I’ve noticed the same kinds of things help people create that space.

• Spending time with friends and family

• Taking a walk with someone you trust

• Reading quietly without screens competing for attention

• Sitting somewhere still, by the sea works well for me

• Cooking a meal from scratch

• Eating dinner at the table rather than in front of the television

• Taking a short nap

• Writing thoughts down in a journal

• Taking a few slow breaths

• Having coffee with someone you can be fully yourself with

When the pace slows, something interesting happens. Your head settles. And the answers that felt out of reach often start to surface on their own.

So the next time you feel stuck on a question or problem, try a different approach. Instead of pushing harder, ask yourself: What could I do to slow down enough to move forward?