| Heya <<First Name>>,
I struggle to get enough done and tend to think I can remedy my, ahem, under-productivity by scheduling smarter and working faster.
Ha!
Fortunately, I usually remind myself pretty quickly that I need to question what I mean by words like “enough” and “productivity.”
I recently came across an old TED talk by journalist and author Carl Honoré, who says that we’re “so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives.”
Honoré’s wake-up call?
Trying to speed-read to his son at bedtime.
“What should have been the most relaxing, the most intimate, the most tender moment of the day, when a dad sits down to read to his son, became instead this kind of gladiatorial battle of wills, a clash between my speed and his slowness.”
Honoré grew curious about our culture of speed, and wound up writing a book on the topic called “In Praise of Slow.”
His prescriptions for reclaiming your life include scheduling less, prioritizing tasks, limiting TV time, and monitoring your “personal speedometer.”
Or, you could just start by sitting down with a book.
Choose whatever practice works for you. And remember, change is hard, so go slow.
Happy reading.
Jeff, Bob, and Claire …
… who believe that reading with kids can change the world for the better |
