I just finished reading a surprising book. I say surprising because it wasn’t what I was expecting. If you’re anything like me (now there’s a scary thought), you may be “driven” to be productive in everything you do. You wake in the morning thinking about all the tasks that are waiting for your attention. You get “pumped up” thinking of pursuing more and more tasks, often with less and less time. You’re a high achiever. So the book I read goes against everything that I’ve prided myself on these past few years. The title of the book is Slow Productivity by Cal Newport.
Even the title raises my anxiety quotient. I don’t want “slow” anything. I want fast results. I want fast productivity. But I was intrigued, so I read it. Wow. It was a mind-boggling assault on the way I’ve always done things. But it was a cathartic lotion to my soul. What’s more, it answered the question, “Why am I so exhausted?”
I could barely move after reading this quote from the author: This is what ultimately matters: where you end up, not the speed at which you get there, or the number of people you impress.” Some of the greatest scientists, thinkers, and industrialists learned the secret of slow productivity. What’s the secret? Taking time to think. Plan using long-term goals. Share your workload with others. Develop a simple and consistent routine. I couldn’t help but think about Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Allow yourself the time to think about the things that matter. That may slow you down, but your results will usually speed up.