The Beauty Of Slow Living: Understanding That Slow Progress Is Still Progress
We live in a time where everything is given to us in an instant. Whenever we want information, we can have it at the click of a button. Whenever we want to buy something new, we can do it at the click of a button. Whenever we want to talk to a friend, we can talk to them at the click of a button. The speed of the digital age is useful but more so frightening.
Long gone are the days where we have to knock for a friend to catch up. Long gone are the days where patience was vast and people had the ability to set goals that they were fine with achieving in the future.
Now, humans are more often programmed to want to achieve goals within days, or even minutes. How we have everything at the click button is how humans assume they can achieve goals. However, things do not work that way.
Whether you want to set up a business, move home, save money, learn how to cook a new dish, pursue a new hobby, read a book… the list goes on… you must understand that slow progress is still progress.
You don’t need to achieve your goals within a day or sooner. If you manage to achieve things so fast, what will you have to look forward to? How will you ever feel content?
Good things take time.
Learning how to slow down and accepting that good things can take time to happen is challenging, especially if you have grown up having everything at your fingertips. But, it is possible with daily practices and adopting a mindful mindset.
Here are some ways you can introduce slower living, which will enhance your patience and help you recognise that slow progress is still progress.
Wake up mindfully
How you start your day will dictate your mood, mindset, and habits. Many of us pick up our phones before we have even opened our eyes properly. It’s best to avoid using your phone as soon as you wake as it can stimulate cortisol levels. Instead, leave it 30 minutes before you pick it up. If you need it for your alarm or the time, buy an old school alarm clock if you need to. To help you avoid picking it up as soon as you wake, charge it away from your bed.
Instead of waking up and using your phone, you could find a quiet space, grab a morning drink (coffee, tea, lemon water, matcha, etc) and journal. Journaling in the morning can help you set the right tone for the day and inspire you to have a mindful yet productive day.
Find here some printable journal and to-do lists that will enable you to wake up mindful and help you plan and track your progress.
Set smaller goals
Big goals can feel unrealistic. If they take time to achieve, it might cause self-doubt, which can knock confidence and hinder your ability to have patience with yourself. Instead, smaller goals are more easily achievable and will boost self-belief. For instance, if you want to start exercising four days a week and currently do not exercise, add one day a week for the next month. Instead of jumping in with an intense routine, the slower progress can help you build consistency and make the goal more manageable.
Track your progress
Many of us may be guilty of not tracking our progress. Hence, you won’t ever be able to acknowledge how far you have come. When you are able to see your achievements and accomplishments, you can better understand your progress and congratulate yourself for being on the right track. It will help you understand you are heading in the right direction and that slow progress still enables you to get to where you want to be.
Living more mindfully and recognising that slow progress is still progress will hopefully help you enjoy slowing down. A slow life is not a full nor unproductive life. In many cases, it more productive, more fulfilling, and better for your mindset.