"Good things take time". That was the tag line of a cheese ad that was popular here in New Zealand when I was growing up in the 90s. It had an old "classic kiwi" country bloke narrating over a time lapse, showing the changing of the seasons and at the very end it shows the cheese and his gravelly voice saying "Good things take time".  It was a sentimental, romantic ad, pulling at the heart strings. It had the feeling of that wisdom you needed to hear, when you were young and restless and rushing around to change things.

And it's exactly the message that I keep getting for myself - be patient, this is slow-moving, it's all coming together, don't rush it. Every time I've thought of putting an offer out, getting "the business cranking again", everything says slow down! Get the book done first, dabble in some lives... ease back into it.

It actually feels scary to me, because I'm a go-getter, energiser bunny type. So this new way, this slower way, feels scary but it also feels luxurious and like there's "all the time in the world". When I get over the fear, it feels great!

So why is it so hard to just slow down? Why is this need to push and do?

Rushing Leads to Pushing (and there's little need)!

Pushing is something we've been taught that is necessary to achieve - anything. You need to push to make change. It doesn't just happen on it's own. Yes, sometimes we do need to put a little back into it to make a change especially in a stagnant stuck environment.  But there doesn't need to be constant pushing.  That initial action, just needs a little coaxing, to make that first movement gain momentum. Then the effort thereafter,  is much less. 

It reminds me of a method of practice I learnt in Tai Chi called Yang Style Tui Shou or Push Hands. In this practice your opponent starts by gently pushing upon your hands and the aim is to meet the pressure and energy they exert, gently deflect and then push back. Soon it becomes less about "pushing" and becomes a fluid movement between two people, where energy is transferred back and forth. Who is pushing? Who is receiving? It's hard to tell. The momentum is there, and the practice has transformed into something new.

From my own experience, this need to constantly push leads to hard-work, stress and eventually burn out. So why is it so hard to chill the fuck out?  Society tells us pushing is the way to change. We celebrate big huge, dramatic changes. For most of us, this is the only thing we notice. 

We're so desensitised and distracted, that only extreme violence on the screen will keep our attention, or extra salt and extra fat and extra chilli, will make our taste buds wake up.  Desensitisation and distraction make us search for the extremes. We can't feel or notice the subtleties anymore.  Slowing down, gives us this awareness for subtleties.

Society tells us pushing is the way to change. We celebrate big huge, dramatic changes.

Patience is also lacking.  Along with the celebration of huge, dramatic changes, is the celebration of "quick wins" and "meteoric rises". Lack of patience, makes us want to push for the change. I want it NOW! 

So where are you rushing things? Where are you so desperate to make change that you are forcing evolution?  Evolution is as natural as breathing - if we let it happen! So many people resist this natural change, but it happens without us trying. 

Where are you so desperate to make change that you are forcing evolution? 

There is nothing wrong with effort. But there is a different energy behind effort that is pushing and effort that is inspired.  And inspired action, is the kind of effort that brings the most reward with little energy output.

Fear Makes Us Speed Up

Then there's the fear. There's so much fear tied up with being slow. 

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Why is that? When slowing down forces us into more conscious, presence?  Our conscious presence allows us to make better decisions and take deliberate, purposeful, aligned action. 

The fear of "if I don't do something now, nothing will get done!"  So we push. We push to prove to ourselves that we are doing something, and if we're doing something surely something will change right? Not true.  

As I speak to my clients about, change comes from within first, it doesn't come from all your actions. Too many people take action for action's sake - they don't want to look like they're not doing anything, or being lazy... so they do, do do, with little thought or right energy behind their actions. It's fear-fuelled action taking that put's you on a fast track to crashing and burning! 

Slowing down forces us into more conscious, presence... {which} allows us to make better decisions and take deliberate, purposeful, aligned action. 

What about the fear of "being lazy" and "unproductive" if you're not just doing doing doing? That's real too. So much fucking fear that is causing many to rush around like headless chickens, doing all the things but not really making any real change at all.

I said it! So many leaders DO and for all their DOING there's not much to show for it. If you want to create REAL CHANGE, you've got to slow down. Slowing down means you have time to reflect, review and take measured steps that come from inspiration rather than fear. It means you can make good decisions rather than shooting from the hip.

It's easy to avoid the fear, when you're rushing around doing a million things at once! Trust me! So perhaps there is another reason why so many people can't slow down. They're afraid of what will come up in that space...

People can't slow down. They're afraid of what will come up in that space...

What would be revealed if you slowed down? What things that you "don't have time to think about" would resurface? What do you not want to face, that would arise in this spacious slowing down? Too many people are afraid of being with themselves and so they do more, they rush more, all to avoid what might come up...

But, what if slowing down is the key to your massive transformation and the evolution and impact of your leadership?  By doing this you would become a role model of a new, empowering and restful, peaceful way of being.... that's inspiring!

Slowing down is the key to your massive transformation and the evolution and impact of your leadership

And this way of moving within the world, would be more harmonious as you have the head-space, time, resources to take in all the information, and then and only then, make a move that aligns with your vision of creating empowering, transformative work spaces.

Small Changes Have Big Ripples

Don't underestimate small changes that happen with slowing down. Small changes are still change in the right direction! Too often, I see leaders get disenchanted with making positive change, because they don't see that it is doing anything. Every little thing counts!The ripple effect is real!

We forget that the smallest right action, can have the biggest effects

In a society that loves the drama of huge changes, we forget that the smallest right action, can have the biggest effects. A small tweak in an athlete's diet, may mean the winning of a gold medal. A small tweak in the way that you lead may be the birth of a different, more positive and empowering culture at work.

From my current point of view, slowing down has been fantastic at revealing my deeper inner work:

• To become more patient

• To keep the faith and fear less

• To surrender and trust 

• To check my focus - is it on the fear, or on the vision?

• To respond rather than react

• To relax...

A buddhist monk once said to me "When you relax, you can be compassionate. When you relax, the whole world feels your love". Read that again. Remember that.

A buddhist monk once said to me "When you relax, you can be compassionate. When you relax, the whole world feels your love".

So what would be revealed if you slowed down? What fears would surface? What thoughts that you've ignored would arise? What has come up for you reading this? 

If this sings to you, what can you do now to slow down?

As always, I'm here for your constant evolution!

Arohanui,

Nik Chung

Ps. I LOVE that you are a Conscious Leader! Want more personalised help to reach your leadership goals? Send me a private message or email me on nicola@nikchung.com and let's chat!

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