John: I saw a post the other day where someone said it was better to go 100 miles in the wrong direction than going extremely slow in the right direction.

Some of the hardest walks you make are the ones you make alone, and yes, many people have a very difficult time taking any sort of action. They get stuck somewhere in the middle of analysis paralysis where they don’t make any sort of decision.

But let’s flip it for a bit – what if you are not one of the ones who have a difficult time taking action? What if you are a hard worker? Are you doing meaningful important work, or are you doing a lot of things, checking items don’t matter off a to-do list?

If they don’t matter, why are you doing them?

Then you step back and say, I just don’t have time for this, I don’t have time to write, I am so stressed out, why is my life so FULL??

Because you filled it. You just didn’t pay attention to what you filled it with. Maybe it is not full of things that you want to do. It’s almost like a path in the woods. Do you remember when you explored as a kid?  Maybe through your neighborhood, town, city, or the woods.

When I was young, I would go through the woods, come to the end of a path, and find it either led up a hill out to the sunshine and it would be wow, what a trip? Or it would lead to pricker bushes, burdocks and chiggers, and I would say, hmm, probably should turn around.

If you are a hard worker, slow down and know what you are working for, ask yourself why you are doing what you’re doing. If it is meaningful to you and will take you where you want to go, do it.

If not, stop.

Sandy thoughts?

Sandy: Lots of good thoughts here John.  I have noticed that these days people are very busy, but not always being productive or having fun.  They are just busy.  They are busy reacting to things, instead of responding.

When you react, something happens and you instantly do something to deal with it.  There are times when reacting is a good thing.  For instance, when you see a toddler running free with no adults in sight, or a house on fire.  Instant reactions can save the day.

However, for most things, responding is a better way to go.  When you respond, you take the time to assess the situation, formulate a way to deal with it, and then take action.  A response is a bit slower, but in most non-emergency situations, it’s a smarter way to go.

As you so wisely said, it’s smart to slow down and know what you’re working for.  Why are you doing whatever it is that’s taking your time, attention and energy?

I’m not sure I agree with the post you saw about going 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction.  I believe it’s OK to go in the wrong direction until you figure out that it’s not getting you where you want to go, because that’s how you learn.  But maybe not go 100 miles an hour until you’ve determined it’s the right direction.  It seems so much smarter to take time to figure things out and then head in the right direction, even if it’s slower.

The bottom line is that we all need to pay attention to what we’re giving our time and attention to, instead of just reacting to whatever is in front of us.

We need to make conscious choices about where we want to go and the best ways to get there, and then move ahead in a smart and thoughtful fashion.

Please comment so others can benefit from your wisdom and experience. 

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