Tortoise Time
“She said, “One of my gifts is that I slow things down so that my clients can more easily observe themselves in action.” They went silent. Looked at me like I had two heads. The air went out of the room The interview was over.”
These are my colleague’s words but I can relate. I’ve seen the look. In a speedy world, I’m a fan of the tortoise.
Carl Honore in his 2005 book “In Praise of Slow; Challenging the Cult of Speed”, advocates for a shift in culture. In his preface to the 2019 edition he argues that while “”Slow” is shedding its dirty-word status and instead coming to signify depth, meaning and quality… our economy is still based on a toxic cocktail of fast growth, fast consumption and fast profits.” We see this regularly: job postings requesting candidates who “thrive in a fast-paced environment” are ubiquitous.
Change, a constant in pre-pandemic times, is ceaseless in hospitals, schools and workplaces as businesses and institutions pivot again and again (and again!) to meet shifting demands. The relentless cry to “do more with less” also calls us to do it faster.
And yet, slow is essential for observation, which is essential to learning. Today’s workplaces require employees to continuously learn.
It’s not that speed is the enemy; the driver style of energy, of direct, fast and goal-oriented action, gets a lot of work done. And it doesn’t need to equate with breakneck speed. When combined with observation and a slower pace, we can create moments to:
- Celebrate how far we have come! Recently in my Aikido training, my teacher stopped me mid-move and said: “Let’s take a minute to see the things that are working here.” I was invited to fully observe my structure and energetic feeling and to anchor these in my mind and body. I also experienced the joy of how much I have learned over the last couple years, a feeling which motivates and keeps me on the path.
- Notice the gaps. In keeping with a fast pace, I’ve made requests of others without thinking them through. I’ve skipped key details regarding quality or due dates because I haven’t slowed down to clarify what I truly needed. The result is often rework, sometimes frustration.
- Lean into deep learning. I invited a client experiencing a feeling of powerlessness to notice their sensations, thoughts and emotions that arose when they said yes to asks for which they had no interest or capacity. Noticing the patterns, they found new opportunities for learning another response, and with regular practice, saying no became more readily available.
- Create possibilities. Another client took time to question a long-held belief that she must complete courses to her A+ standards. In challenging her assumption, she saw several possibilities, including renegotiating due dates and doing a “good enough” job, which created space for other important priorities.
At its heart, slowing down begins with believing that it matters and developing habits that support a pace more congruent with learning and quality. Small changes can bring about big shifts.
Slowing down can be pausing to take a breath before responding, asking a question instead of providing an immediate answer, asking another one, and maybe a third. It can be doing a quick body scan for emotions that may be arising. Slowing down involves noticing thoughts, recognizing assumptions, then checking to see if they’re still true. It’s stopping in the moment to observe and celebrate progress.
How important is slowing down to you? What’s your definition of tortoise time? What tools and techniques do you find shift your perspective?
