By Mary Miller
You live life in the fast lane often going 15 – 20 MPH over the speed limit. Stop looking around. Yes! I’m talking to you. It’s ok – I’m not a cop. And shhh! I’ve done it too.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we push our bodies and minds so hard? To answer that question, let’s talk about how I spend my weekends from March to October – at a race car track.
I love cars and speed. This is one reason why my husband and I started our race team. Working on cars has taught me to respect them. Our race car was built for performance. To ensure it performs, for each race, we must maintain it. The engine oil is changed after each race, we place extra cooling fans on the engine after every run, and we monitor its temperature.
That’s a lot of work for an inanimate object isn’t it? How do you think our racing season would go if had a broken-down engine, no oil, and a gas tank that’s on empty? Not so good, right?
But this is exactly what we do to ourselves. We spend our day at full throttle going 90 MPH. No cooling fan, no time for an oil change, no pit stop, and we expect to not breakdown or crash. And when we have no mental capacity left, that’s when we work on ourselves and attempt to dream.
So take a deep breath and repeat after me:
“I will take my foot off of the gas pedal for 30 seconds to read the rest of this article because I am WAY MORE valuable than a car.”
Okay, keep reading and keep breathing … and keep that foot off of the peddle!
Here are 3 ways to slow down:
1. Give Yourself a Ticket.
Admit it. You know you’re speeding. You see the signs and you know you’re going way over the speed limit. Now look at your life. Is your to-do list crazy? Do you see any unscheduled time on your calendar? Did you just read this article and forgot what it was about? Then write yourself a ticket! The fine? Unplug from Facebook, take a bath, read a book, work out to burn off that extra energy. Do whatever you need to do so that you will slow down.
2. Change Your Oil.
You just went through an entire month that was crazy busy, and you have no idea what you did. Take a few hours, whenever it is possible, and step back to reflect on what you accomplished. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and then plan for next month. You’ll be amazed at all you’ve accomplished and the things that didn’t matter.
3. Let Someone Else Drive.
You are used to being in charge. You don’t like the way other people drive, and you’re a horrible back seat driver. The good news is that you’re not responsible for running the world – so stop trying! When you get the chance be part of the team, take it. Let someone else gain an opportunity to showcase their leadership abilities and take a break.
How will you chose to slow down today before you crash?
