Slow productivity. Yay or nay? The votes are in!

Slow productivity. Earlier today I asked the good people of the interwebs to tell me the first thing they thought of when they heard those words.

You see, I use that phrase a lot in my head. It’s a concept I love and believe in, but I’ve held back from using it out in the open.

And apparently my instinct to keep it quiet was bang on!

An overwhelming majority of those who replied had a negative response. In fact, a dear former colleague replied with “behind, disorganised, missed deadlines, panic, ineffective”. Oh dear. That’s not the idea. That’s not the idea at all!

It’s a jolly good job I haven’t been going around telling everyone I do ‘slow productivity’. I’d have no clients!

And yet…

And yet there’s something important that I want you to know. Whether your initial response to the concept was negative or positive, here’s what I mean (and don’t mean) by slow productivity:

What it doesn’t mean: moving at a snail’s pace

What it does mean: moving with intention, in a way that feels good to you and is sustainable in the long-term.

What it doesn’t mean: never actually getting anything done

What it does mean: choosing what to do with intention and then bringing mindful focus as you work on that thing. (Net result = getting the thing done more quickly, as you’re not spending time on unnecessary things and distractions.)

What it doesn’t mean: leaving your ambition for yourself and your business at the door

What it does mean: being deeply connected with your vision and your why, and striving for a life that’s in alignment with those things now, not when you’ve reached your next milestone.

You see, to me the word ‘slow’ in this context simply means intentional. It means taking a step back, connecting in with what you’re doing and why, and then giving that your full attention and focus.

So I may not call it ‘slow productivity’ out loud – that phrase might be best kept in my head for now (or maybe I’ll start a revolution… who knows?!).

But I wanted you to know that there is a different way to get things done. A way that isn’t about doing more, doing everything at a million miles an hour and spreading ourselves so thinly that we might break.

I believe in a more mindful, sustainable approach to productivity. How about you?

If you’re feeling exhausted, frazzled and worn down by your to-do list and you’re curious to know more about this intentional, mindful, sustainable approach to productivity, let’s chat! I’d love to find out what’s going on for you right now to see whether or not I might be able to help. Sound good? Drop me an email here and let me know what’s going on for you right now!