The Joy of Slowing Down: Finding Balance and Meaning in a Busy Life
Feeling a bit like life is too full and too busy? Does it seem like there’s never enough time in the day to do everything that you need to do? As a professional, spouse, daughter, board member, and parent of three teenagers, there are days when the “to do” list can be daunting.
While perhaps counterintuitive, my good news is that it’s time to slow down!
The SJS Book Club recently read Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy by Matthew Kelly. Kelly describes how work has taken on greater significance in modern life, and how busyness has become a measure of worth, a badge of honor in our culture. During our discussion, we could all relate to feeling a little overwhelmed by the “to do’s.” While we know that sometimes something has to give, it is not always simple to implement in practice. Kelly’s message of carving out time to identify and focus on what truly matters, and to appreciate the beauty of life, will help us find more balance and joy in our lives.
The insights within the book that we found impactful included the following:
Define what is enough: Due to advances in technology, we accomplish a lot more each day than people historically have been capable of. Knowing that, we can feel satisfied that we are “doing” enough. We should instead be sure we are present for the people we care about in our lives.
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude: Finding gratitude and being thankful for the blessings in our lives helps to restore some inner peace when life can seem chaotic or too busy.
Build margin: Giving yourself the grace to plan for the unexpected is important. We owe it to ourselves to not overpack each moment of every day. Leave early to avoid being late for an appointment. Learn how to say no to avoid overcommitting to less important activities. Take a moment to reflect on what really matters.
Create Sunday mindfulness: Weekends can be just as busy as weekdays, just full of other commitments and errands. To be able to free up this reflection time, we discussed that it would take a little pre-planning and wouldn’t always be easy. Taking that time might help us refocus on what’s important, rediscover the wonder in world around us, and make some fantastic memories.
In Kelly’s words, the secret of living a good life is to want the right thing.
Is delaying our “to do” list to Monday easy to do? No, but the right things will get done if we focus on what’s important. Taking a few minutes to focus on a child’s question rather than answering an email is the right thing. Saying no to an overcommitted weekend of activities so you can take a walk with a spouse is the right thing. Wanting and doing the things that matter most is what a good life is all about.
Let’s build some margin and slow down so we can live a more joyful and intentional life. If you’d like to learn how we help build peace of mind through financial clarity and confidence, connect with SJS Investment Services today - and discover how you can slow down and enjoy more of what matters most.
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