Is it time for you to slow down ??

Imagine you go to the gym

You do some warm up exercises and then, hop on a treadmill

You start walking....

Speed 2

After a few minutes, you gradually increase the speed

3,4..

Now you start walking faster

You are enjoying the brisk pace, so you increase the speed further

5,6,7..

You are now jogging

After sometime, you start getting a bit tired and feel just the hint of a stretch, but somehow, you try to cope up

But then, something happens….

You feel that someone has increased the speed

8,9,10..

You feel that the control is NO more with you

You are now running frantically, sweating and panting

Your heart is pounding.?You are running out of air

You want to slow down

You can’t cope up anymore.?You are about to fall down

But you DON'T have the control

You panic

Suddenly, you see the red safety button

And in one desperate move, you press it

The treadmill starts slowing down

9,8...

You start catching your breath

7,6,5....

It continues to slow down further

4,3,2,1…

Finally, it stops

You get off and almost crash on the floor, still panting heavily

Now that is a hypothetical scenario in the gym

But if you take a step back, you will realize that?this is exactly what happens in your life

Especially if you have a high-flying corporate career

It’s like a treadmill

You started off slow and under control, but then….

..As you climb up the corporate ladder

..As you grow more and more senior

..As you achieve more and more success

The pace keeps on increasing

You are constantly running and chasing

Targets after targets, quarter after quarter, year after year

It does NOT seem to slow down

Sometimes, you are running simply to outrun others, and at other times, you don't know what exactly are you chasing and why

You try frantically to keep up with the pace in the hope that?there will be a point in time in future, when things will slow down

Unfortunately, the reverse happens in most cases

That assumed future state when you will have everything under control remains a distant dream

The pace keeps on increasing

And eventually, you reach a stage when you feel that you are no more in control?

You feel that if it continues like this,?you might just collapse

Rings a bell ?

If it does, then it's time to rethink how you are going to change your approach

How you can take back the control?

How you can slow down

But before I proceed further, I want to draw a distinction –?slowing down v/s stopping

Stopping means taking a break from what you are doing

Slowing down means you continue doing what you are doing, but at a slower pace with a greater sense of control

The chase can still continue….

But what you want to chase and at what pace –?that’s something you can decide

And yes….

It does not matter who is running at what speed

You decide the speed at which you want to run (?or walk or jog )

More importantly….

Make sure you slow down and pause

To recover, rejuvenate and re-energize

Don’t wait to press the safety button

It might be too late

So as you prepare to step into 2022, here’s a simple yet powerful reflection for you :

1) How will you intentionally slow down in 2022 ? The key word is intentionally. Think about it

2) Once you plan for the slow down, then take a step back and think about what you want to go after. What is the ONE thing that you want to chase in 2022,?for which you are ready to stretch that extra mile ?

Both are contrasting questions to reflect upon, but can help you create the right awareness and balance between slowing down and increasing the speed

Because sometimes, slowing down can help you speed up in the long run

I would be interested to know what came up for you as you read and reflected on this article

Till then

Stay safe and stay healthy

Harsh

www.harshjohari.com

P.S. -?Here are some ways how I can help you in your transformation journey

1)?How to create an extraordinary?2022?- If you really want to create a big?impact and make the next year an extraordinary year for you, drop me a message. Let 2022 be really a BIG year for you and people around you

2)?Reflective Leadership?– My latest edition of?"21?Powerful Questions Every Leader Should Reflect On"?is now available. This can be used for self-reflection as well as for teams. If you need a copy of same, drop me an email

3) PLUS, whenever you are ready to step into your real power and go after what you truly want, you can book a short exploratory call here (Book Your Call)