Forgive my midwestern obligation to talk about the weather, but it has been an unseasonably warm autumn in Minnesota. Aside from the shorter days and cool mornings, things have felt more like September around here than knocking on the door of (and now entering) November 1.
As a result of this unexpected warmth, what was originally scheduled as a simple coffee chat with Jill Tanem turned into a truly 10/10 morning of coffees to-go, nourishing conversation, and a beautiful walk alongside Lakes Hiawatha and Nokomis.
Jill and I met once before, but only briefly. She attended the You & Your Ideas workshop I hosted with The Dot Twin Cities earlier this year. Since then, Jill found herself in the midst of a somewhat unexpected career transition so, we met to catch up on life and work and moving through such moments with intention.
Our conversation wandered as we did. Jill shared how she’s been reflecting, reconnecting, following her curiosity, listening to her intuition, and trying new things this season. All key ingredients in times of transformation. She said, “I’ve really been allowing myself to slow down to speed up…” then, almost under her breath, “…though I have mixed feelings about that phrase.”*
Immediately, her comment caught my attention.
I, too, have mixed feelings about this phrase.
“Slow down to speed up” was something I heard regularly during my time at Northwestern Mutual. It was repeated, often begrudgingly, as if it were another thing to add to the to-do list. Like, “I know I should slow down to speed up but… [who has the time?]”
Context clues read as though slowing own were a means to an end, and that end was more hustle. Whereas, for me, slowing down was an intentional escape from the hustle. I wasn’t interested in getting back to it. I wanted to find or create an entirely different approach moving forward.
So, what DO I believe about slowing down? What’s my intention behind choosing to do so?
In that moment, validated by Jill’s comment, an answer came to me…
It’s not a matter of slowing down to speed up.
We slow down to clear up.
And, as a result of that clarity, sometimes things do move faster. It’s a version of speed that’s rooted in flow rather than force. Like skating over a smooth pond.
Jill and I both got excited about this reframe, both shocked and delighted by the spontaneous idea.
But despite how it might seem, this isn’t a mere shift in verbiage. Nor a philosophical musing.
The phrase “slow down to clear up” offers more direct information on both why and when slowing down may be beneficial.
You slow down when things are unclear.
When the path ahead looks foggy.
In liminal spaces, when one thing has ended but what’s next hasn’t fully formed.
When something unexpected shakes up your status quo.
When you hit a roadblock you didn’t see coming.
When you feel you’re running in circles.
In these and similar circumstances, you slow down to clear up.
This is the phrase I’ll be using from now on.
Maybe it resonates with you too?
PS:
Speaking of living it to give it, slowing down to clear up is exactly what I’ve been doing lately.
Earlier this year, I wrote an article titled “Possibility is a Muscle Many High Achievers Forget to Train.” Since then, I’ve coached more high achieving clients, and, while my thinking around the topic of possibility hasn’t changed, it has evolved.
I’m currently in research mode for a follow up article I’ve tentatively titled, “Possibility Plays an Infinite Game,” which would elaborate on the philosophy and methodology behind Anomaly.
As excited as I am about this piece, it’s not something I plan to rush. So, in the meantime, feel free to read or reread the original piece, linked above. If the Slow Down to Clear Up workshop moves forward, you’ll likely see similar themes!
