tba
"Indeed, we do not have time for everything... However, we do have time for everything that is important and impactful - and it is absurd to want more than what is possible. And, operating in that "only do what is most important" perspective and manner, we will have more of substance and more of happiness and aliveness BY FAR than we would have with more things of illusionary importance."
The BuddhaKahuna
"If you're not happy until you "arrive" at some great destination or high level of being, you will not be happy. If...then I'll be... is not a workable strategy. Once one gets to "enough" (and he must know what that level is), then everything else is a bonus along the highly enjoyable journey of life, rising ever higher and higher in levels of life, and appreciating living in BonusLand." (See How Far Is Far Enough? and the links to the "being enough" and "having enough" pieces.)
The BuddhaKahuna
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THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO
If the criteria for how fast you go was simply how much you can do in quantity, then you'd still do pacing at a slower rate than "fast", a slower rate than you'd operate at by pushing yourself. By pacing, you actually get better, and more, desired results, with less effort and alot less stress - and I mean "alot less!".
If one goes too fast, "things break". Messes are made and need to be cleaned up. We lose our perspective. Our lives become full of broken things (energy, health, aliveness), clogged with messes, and losing touch with what is, inability to keep things in perspective or to see what is most important and impactful to your life - your life cannot be as effective nor as efficient as if you were well paced.
If you run a machine at top speed with no breaks and no maintenance, disaster will ensue, or at least a huge loss in efficiency. If we constantly push the accelerator in our lives, we will find ourselves spinning our tires uselessly and we'll wear ourselves out. We can't operate well in life always "keepin' the pedal to the metal", just as we can't do it with a car. If we are constantly busy, that is a hugely bad sign, where one is being "reactive", the victim of life, failing to pace and keep the perspective of what is important versus what is urgent! If everything is urgent (a System One fear response), then there is little chance of being effective and of being truly happy.
Though humans can "surge" when needed, we cannot surge, surge, surge ... evolutionarily we must, instead, surge, then recover, then surge, then recover. (See The Effects Of Not Keeping In Balance; keeping in balance constantly is the key to functioning effectively in life.)
And...one of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is peace. (Pace plus an 'e' = Peace)
EFFECTIVENESS PER AMOUNT OF EFFORT
It's like the old story of the seasoned lumberjack competing with the new guy to see who could chop down an equally large tree. The new guy started right away whacking at the tree, using good technique. The old guy was sitting down for the longest time before starting, just sharpeninjg his axe. The new guy smiled and thought he would really show this guy up by beating him dramatically. Sweating and puffing, he again looked at the old guy, who was about to take his last whack at the tree before it fell over. Of course, without trying to make this dramatic, the old guy's 'secret' (wisdom) was that a sharp axe cuts much quicker. Read Stephen Covey, "The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People", where "sharpen the saw" is engaged in daily. (If you don't sharpen your say, then you won't be able to 'cut it' in life...)
When you "take time" and pace yourself, you can discern more clearly what will be more efficient, plus you also will chop down the right trees more often (those with a better yield for aliveness and life). You must master the habit of Pausing, Planning, And Pacing - and you'll be able to master your life for the greatest happingess.
The other half of effectiveness for one's effort is simply choosing what will have the greatest impact (effect) on your life and then doing those things, while squeezing out the less important things - essentially operating on the 80/20 Principle and living in the good part of the Four Quadrants.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT PACE?
It is the pace at which you feel unhurried, unstressed, and which you can keep up without tension and pushing. It feels graceful and full of ease.
It begets "quiet confidence" as the tortoise had when he just kept on going at his own pace, but staying steady in his direction.
Part of the pacing process is giving oneself breaks in your pushing yourself and "space" of being unhurried. You would always build in ten extra minutes to arrive early for appointments (and never try to cram something else in before you leave!)
THE COMMITMENT - FOR A LIFETIME
To do this, we must remember. To remember we must have a stimulus to remember (called a reminder).
To assure this stimulus happens, we must set up a system or it won't happen systematically or often enough. I think it is a good idea to build a reminder into one's daily intentions in the morning during the time you are grounding yourself for the day - just put it on a written list of "Reminders For This Day".
This is a practice you MUST do for a lifetime, not just as another side exercise done for awhile. It is one of the lifetime practices to have.
AFFIRMATIONS/MANTRAS
Once you've read over the reasons and how to pace enough so that you have it in memory, you will find it useful to repeat a simple mantra during the day and also to have a "coping statement" and/or affirmation available "top of the mind". These are examples, some of which I have used.
Mantras
I pace myself.
Slow and steady.
Coping
I need not hurry and scurry. I now slow down and pace myself.
Affirmations
I know I can do better in life by pacing myself for greater power and clarity of mind.
There is no real gain in hurrying and rushing. Instead, I choose to stand tall and powerfully, going through life centered in my energy.
I know that pacing myself will lead to greater health and to happiness. Practicing this has me make this into an automatic way of being in life - and it is powerful! And is peaceful.
