LIVING AT THE RIGHT PACE

I've long been fascinated by the conundrum of how fast to
move and how much to do in life. If we don't "keep up" and
do enough, if we don't take action and work hard and get
stuff done, we fall behind and fail to achieve. On the
other hand, when we rush and hurry and multi-task all day
long, it seems we wear ourselves out and miss some of
life's best moments. What's a person to do?
This week I was struck with the concept of "right pacing."
We've long talked about "right sizing" in business and
government. How big should an organization be? How
efficient should it be? Too much emphasis on speed and
performance-at-any-cost and eventually employees burn out
and quit--or unionize in protest. Too little focus on
productivity and we fall behind the competition and
eventually go bankrupt.
Career counselors have focused on the concept that each
person achieves optimum fulfillment by doing their "right
work," defined as work that respects their values and uses
their best talents. We inevitably become unhappy, less
productive and less fulfilled when we do work that doesn't
suit us or that conflicts with our deepest values.
This week it struck me that we each have a "right pace" for
our lives and that failure to honor our inherent "pacing"
stresses us and perhaps even kills us at an early age.
We've long known about Type A personalities that move
quickly, and Type B personalities that prefer a more
leisurely pace through life. Type A's are "race horses" and
we know that forcing them to slow down or putting them "out
to pasture" seems to kill their enthusiasm, their energy
and their productivity, while "turtles" naturally move
slower and forcing them to run brings a premature heart
attack.
This week, I read about a new study that claims testing the
pace with which we walk may be as accurate a predictor of
over-all health as far more complex and expensive medical
procedures. Apparently simply walking down the hall outside
our doctor's office is a pretty good measure of balance,
coordination, strength and neurological function.
Interesting!
Americans have long been in love with the idea of speed. We
didn't invent the automobile, but we certainly fell in love
with it. We did invent the airplane and have done more with
rockets and space travel and instant communication than any
people on earth. We love speed! We love multi-tasking and
"doing more with less." We love being first and are proud
of being the most productive (fastest) people around.
But, we also know there is something good about making love
slowly, about "the pause that refreshes" and "stopping to
smell the roses." We know that time spent with a child,
watching a sunset or savoring a meal is a good thing. We
know that the desire to "slow down" is almost universal.
What are we to make of these contradictions?
My sense is that successful people find and honor their
personal "right pace" in life. Some love the exhilaration
of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making and racing through
life. Good for them! But others need to be more deliberate,
slower and more thoughtful, and I suspect they are most
successful when they honor their own "right pace." And I
suspect many of life's artists, writers, and poets have
hurt their success by trying to "keep up" with our cultural
preference for speed.
Speed is good, but so is meditation. Speed is often
rewarded with more money, fame or power, but we also know
that "haste makes waste" and sometimes being slower, more
deliberate, more precise and more thoughtful has it's own
advantages.
Find your right pace! Honor the part of you that "knows"
how much to tackle each day. Vary your pace and the
pressure you allow in your life. Slow down and smell the
roses so you can respond instantly when the situation calls
for it. I find some solace in the observation that
sometimes, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
I love speed and action and adrenalin as much as the next
guy, but there is also wisdom in mastering the fine art of
doing nothing, observing, and patiently waiting for the
right moment. Find and listen to your "right pace" in life.
I suspect your happiness and long-term success may depend
on it.