Hi Reader,

When was the last time you actually slowed down? Not just for a day, but for long enough to start noticing what’s going on in your business.

It’s probably been a while, hasn’t it? Hustle culture kind of demands that we go, go, go all the time, leaving us little room to slow down, stop, or even pause for any real length of time.

However, if you don’t slow down, you can’t hear your business speak to you. I know it sounds a bit woo, but the reality is when you're going fast all the time you can miss a lot of obvious things. Not only that, but you keep making the same mistakes, like saying yes to clients who really aren’t a good fit.

Slowing down isn’t easy. But, it’s a necessary part of healthy growth.

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This doesn’t mean that you have to stop working or anything like that, but what it does mean is that you’re creating space for both you and your business and actually thinking about the work that you’re doing.

Think about it this way… you’re busy and in the groove, everything is going exactly the way you like, and good things are happening. You probably don’t stop much to think about what you’re doing. You just do the work.

Same with when things aren’t going well. You’ve got bills to pay, work is scarce, and you’re starting to get flustered with everything. You’re probably not thinking much about the leads that come in. You’re just saying yes because you want to do the work.

The problem with both scenarios is you’re basically running on autopilot. You’re moving fast, not really considering the why of your actions.

However, when you slow down, you start noticing things. Maybe you notice that the work you’re saying yes to is soul-sucking. Maybe you notice that a service you’re offering isn’t attracting the kinds of people you’d hoped it would.

Whatever it is, you won’t notice till you slow down.

I first noticed this a few years ago when I was writing a lot, but not making very much money (like at all). I had to slow right down, think very hard about what I was doing, and figure out what needed to happen. I couldn’t do that when I was going full tilt because I was lost in the weeds. I didn’t even realize things weren’t going well.

It’s also something that comes up a lot when I’m fishing. I used to have a bad habit of showing up at a lake, doing the same thing I always did, before deciding there wasn’t any fish around. It wasn’t until I slowed down, looked at the water, and focused on what the lake (or river) was telling me that I started to actually catch more fish.

Actually slowing down is easier said, than done. I often have to step back and take a serious look at everything, like watching the water, before I see what’s going on.

What about you? How do you slow down long enough to listen to your business?

Cheers,

Doug

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