Slowing Down is Working for Me

I left one of my jobs a few weeks ago due to a variety of complications. At first I thought I should fill in that blank
immediately with a new job. Previously, my two part time jobs had equaled full time work. It was difficult to switch lanes between one job and another. Two jobs equaled double the responsibility even at reduced hours for each. Taking home problems from two places of employment every week didn't marry well with the problems that greeted me at the door each evening. There seemed to be a love/hate relationship between the two.My own health problems just doggedly follow me around no matter what. I began to feel as though I wasn't doing a good job anywhere. Keeping up with my responsibilities surrounding the health problems of my family members was like running a marathon barefoot. My body and my spirit ended up battered and bruised. It was becoming increasingly impossible to accept the growing demands of a difficult employer. The work environment itself had become toxic. My hours had been reduced over the winter months which had caused a great deal of financial stress at a very difficult time in our lives. That had propelled me to hit overdrive and take the second job. My first employer still expected me to get the same amount of work done in twenty hours that I had previously accomplished in thirty. When the seasons changed and work picked up my hours didn't. Things had to be done yesterday, at break neck speed. Every other day I was facing new work and challenges. Meanwhile old business continued to gather at my feet and coil around my ankles. Never able to shake that tether free it roped me in on my off hours. My boss called me relentlessly at home. The resentment continued to build until I cut that cord and switched lanes. A decision that just came out of nowhere, like a speeding car. I didn't much contemplate it. I made a split second decision and just veered off abruptly. It was the best speed bump I ever hit. The feeling mirrored one of narrowly escaping a potentially fatal car crash. I had a new lease on life.

Downshifting and Slowing Up
That first week I felt as though I was just spinning my wheels. I was so used to racing to and from places that I had to remind myself I wasn't in a hurry. The first blissful event that happened was the phone quieted down. My boss no longer called me. No morning calls, 10:00 P.M. calls or work related week-end calls. One of the first things I did was catch up on all important paper work at home. I organized all of the health related files on each family member. Each time I ticked off a phone call on my list of business calls to return I felt a rush of excitement. My home office has never looked so good. After one week of putting everything in it's place other things started to follow along. A previously neglected caravan of paper vehicles now resembled crisp new models all tucked neatly into files and marked spaces. Forms were filled out and mailed. When I downshifted and slowed up I got more done. I went less places, took my time getting there and accomplished more. Once all the paper work was caught up and different organizations updated our files it changed our financial picture. I was taking care of our business and getting ahead without that crash and burn feeling.

Putting it in Park
My husband and I now get to cruise around here and there. Once in awhile we put it in park and have a real picnic. Recently we stopped at Fort Taber in New Bedford, Ma. and we learned all about it's history. On a Wednesday, in the middle of the week we had a picnic! It was so nice to reconnect with "us" again. He has had a very trying year due to illness and my crazy schedule. One of the advantages of slowing down and getting out of the fast lane is getting to put it in park and enjoy ourselves. Not knowing how many miles either of us has left makes us want to take the scenic route everywhere.

Pit Stops
There isn't a vehicle in the world that does not require pit stops. If you want to keep an engine running you have to take care of it. Taking care of ourselves is no exception. We require rest and tune ups. Recently I visited my rheumatologist to discuss medication to alleviate the symptoms of a chronic illness. In the past I would slam the breaks on any mention of new medications. Nothing can stall me out quicker than taking a new medicine out for a test drive. The thought of trying to drag myself out of bed five mornings a week and go to work while dealing with the detours of side effects would leave my engine cold. Now, I get to take my time and research each one wisely. Should I decide on a trial run I know I have the availability of taking a pit stop if I need one. I still have one job which is very flexible. I can alternate my days according to our schedule. We travel to Boston frequently for appointments. Working around the appointments is much less stressful than working the appointments around two jobs.

Fuel Charge
It may occur to you that someone still has to pay for the gas among other things. How is it possible to live life in the slow lane and still get from point A to point B? I still haven't figured that out yet. I only know that when I made the big lane change I wasn't concerned about money. It was the last thing I was thinking about. I put it at the very bottom of my list. When I moved people, peace of mind, better health and quality of life to the top of my list a new road opened up for me. Opportunities that better fit our lifestyle presented themselves. Getting ahead without running on empty costs less. Making the decision to slow down stopped the relentless U turns. I no longer work at slowing down. Slowing down works for me.