Savor the Slow: The Case for Downshifting
Speed. It’s the drug of choice for the modern world. We’re addicted to fast — fast food, fast cars, fast fashion, fast followers. But let’s be honest: in our rush to nowhere, what are we actually achieving? Burnout is the badge of honor; “busy” is the humblebrag du jour. If life is a race, who decided we’re running a sprint instead of a marathon?
The truth is, slowing down isn’t just a rebellion against the tyranny of “fast” — it’s a return to sanity. It’s a moment to breathe, recalibrate, and remind ourselves that life is not a series of milestones to check off but a collection of moments to savor.
The Illusion of Hustle
There’s a myth we’ve bought into: hustle equals worth. It’s everywhere — the LinkedIn warrior posting at 3 a.m. about their “grind,” the startup founder who hasn’t slept since Series A, the gym bro stacking two-a-days because one workout isn’t “hardcore” enough. Productivity has become our religion, and speed is its gospel.
But let’s call it what it is: a con. No one on their deathbed wishes they’d replied to more emails or scaled faster. They wish they’d spent more time doing things that mattered. Slowing down doesn’t mean stopping; it means choosing what’s worth the effort. It’s the difference between being effective and being busy. Spoiler: they’re not the same.
The ROI of Slowing Down
Here’s the kicker: slowing down is not just good for your soul; it’s good for your bottom line.
In business, we’re obsessed with metrics — return on investment, growth rates, churn. But what about the ROI of reflection? Slowing down gives you time to think, to ask the questions that actually move the needle: Are we solving the right problems? Are we building something that matters? Are we making decisions aligned with our values, or are we just chasing the next dopamine hit?
Take Apple. In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to a company on the brink of irrelevance. His first move? Slowing down. He simplified the product line, eliminated distractions, and focused on a few things done exceptionally well. The result? The iMac, the iPod, and a company that didn’t just recover but dominated.
Slowing down is not inertia; it’s strategy. It’s the art of stopping to sharpen the saw rather than hacking away with a dull blade.
The Power of Presence
The real magic of slowing down isn’t in what you accomplish — it’s in what you experience.
We live in a world of perpetual distraction. Notifications ping, feeds refresh, and before you know it, the day’s gone, and you’ve experienced none of it. Slowing down is an act of rebellion against this constant noise. It’s choosing to be present.
Presence is where life happens. It’s the slow sip of coffee on a quiet morning, the belly laugh with a friend, the wonder of watching a child discover the world. These moments don’t scale, they don’t monetize, and they sure as hell don’t fit into a KPI. But they’re the moments that make a life.
The Wisdom of Nature
Nature doesn’t rush. Trees grow slowly, seasons change at their own pace, and rivers carve canyons over millennia. And yet, everything gets done. There’s a lesson here: speed is not the measure of success.
In Japanese culture, there’s a concept called “wabi-sabi,” the appreciation of the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It’s the beauty of a cracked teacup, the serenity of a misty morning, the elegance of a single cherry blossom. Wabi-sabi reminds us that slowing down allows us to see the beauty we’d otherwise miss.
The Courage to Stop
Slowing down is not easy. It takes courage to step off the treadmill when everyone else is sprinting toward burnout. It’s easier to keep running, to let the momentum carry you forward, even if it’s into a wall.
But here’s the truth: slowing down is not about doing less; it’s about doing better. It’s about trading the superficial for the meaningful, the urgent for the important. It’s about asking yourself, “What’s the rush?” and being brave enough to admit that, most of the time, there isn’t one.
The Gift of Slowing Down
So how do we slow down? Start small. A morning walk without your phone. A meal where you actually taste the food. An hour spent reading instead of scrolling.
Slowing down isn’t about changing your whole life overnight; it’s about creating moments of stillness in the chaos. It’s about finding the spaces where you can breathe, reflect, and remember why you’re running in the first place.
Because here’s the secret: the things that truly matter — the ideas, the relationships, the memories — don’t happen in the rush. They happen in the pause.
Intentionality
Life is not a race; it’s a rhythm. Slowing down is not losing — it’s winning in a way that actually matters. It’s the quiet confidence of knowing that you’re not here to run someone else’s race but to live your own life, fully and intentionally.
So slow down. Breathe. Look around. You might just find that everything you’ve been chasing was right there all along, waiting for you to notice.
Is this thing on? Oh, hi, there, I’m Brian, and in addition to this Medium, I wrote The Main Thing is The Main Thing. Pick it up today!
