Let it rest. Within earlier blogging discussions I’ve discussed the dynamic of our wanting success too fast … or of what I call the ‘rush to rapport’ in trying to connect to quickly with others. For me this is an important echo of that same concept. Let it rest, and it isn’t just observational, it’s actionable. It is practical as well as theoretical. It is clear cut counsel to regularly and purposely set a work aside for a bit. To let something percolate, to let it rest, and to allow our subconscious to take over. My mom used to say, “Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can … found seldom in a woman, and never in a man.” Thanks mom! Old school but right on. And letting something rest, developing the virtue of patience, is even less common today.
We’re not alone in this. There actually is such a thing as the “Pace of Life Project.” Researchers involved secretly measured the speed at which pedestrians walk within city centers around the world. Asia and Western Europe clock in the fastest in covering a twenty-meter distance. The slowest appears to be the Middle East, with North America somewhere in between (except for New York City which came in seventh fastest around the globe).
The group in fact measured downtown walking speeds, as well as work speed (postal clerks) and even the accuracy of public clocks in thirty-one international capitals. Correlations? They show that a more hurried pace produces higher death rates from coronary heart disease, and higher rates of smoking and indigestion. I believe that our need for speed is also correlated with diminished interpersonal effectiveness. Let me add insult to injury as well. We’re getting worse. In the last twenty-five years, not surprisingly we’ve acquired ten percent more haste in our daily living – and nearly all of us even hurry along on moving escalators and sidewalks because they’re just not fast enough for us!
My point? Learn to let it rest. Rest: a refreshing quiet or repose; mental or spiritual calm; an interval of inactivity; to be quiet or still. Give it a try.
Let’s do something different – we can’t help but get better:
- Go there now –Hit the pause button. Do that. Consider your interactions within the last week. Which were especially meaningful for you? And why? Write it down now so you’ll remember tomorrow and the day after.
- Consider a higher calling – in trying to create movement in others. Why do you want to impact another person? For what greater purpose? Write that down too.
Now, just let it rest. Don’t worry about being productive; don’t think about targets, goals or objectives. Just let it rest, or if you like, take a short nap!
-Don Brown
don@donbrown.org
Don Brown dedicates his career to ‘helping people with people’ in leadership, sales and customer service. Bilingual and experienced at the executive and line-level alike, you see the results of his work across dozens of industries, including brewing, automotive, airline, banking and medical equipment.
Speaking, writing, coaching and selling to the best – Ford Motor Company, Anheuser-Busch, United Airlines, Harley-Davidson, Jaguar Cars, Hilton Hotels and many, many more – Don takes great pride in long-standing customer relationships (some running well over twenty years).
