Don't Allow Faster to Mean Shallower

“Just because we increase the speed of information doesn’t mean we can increase the speed of decisions. Pondering, reflecting and ruminating are undervalued skills in our culture.”  Dale Dauten

What’s concerning to me is not only the amount of information coming at us, but the pace and level of expectation for the retention of that information. It’s like the chocolate factory scene from I Love Lucy. 

Do you ever feel like your life is like that?

Now I do have friends that can handle a barrage of info and tasks and process them with ease, but I am not one of those. I find that the faster it comes at me:

-The more mistakes I make.
-The less I remember. 
-The poorer the decisions are.
-The more I tend to react instead of thoughtfully responding.
-The less of my soul I invest into the project. 

The thought process is that if I don’t deal with this quickly, the stuff coming in behind it is going to cause a massive pile up. I’m frantic. I’m anxious. I’m shallow. 

That isn’t the type of leader I want to be nor is the sort of leadership I want to model. 

I don’t know your unique situation, season or temperament. What I do know is that slowing down and asking some diagnostic questions may bring some clarity for good next steps. 

1) What has God uniquely gifted and asked me to do? What do I find myself doing that is outside of those areas?

2) What is it like to be on the other side of me? Do I bring calm and peace to those around me?

3) Are there distractions that I’m allowing/creating that are keeping my focus from what is really important?

4) Where is there margin in my life to hear from God, cultivate depth in my life, and develop authentic relationships? 

What other questions do you think would be beneficial to ask as we navigate our lives?

The outside pressure will continue to rise and the speed will continue to climb. We have to be the ones who change the pace and prioritize. No one will do it for us…until a crisis forces us to.