“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”~Ancient Chinese Proverb
Truth be told, my perfectionist days are not all over…
There are still many times when I slip and realize that I have been, once again, beating myself up for not getting, doing, or knowing something fast enough, well enough, or good enough. When I’m wondering why I’m not at the pinnacle of the mountain “yet” – why I’m still climbing and moving so slowly you’d think I was walking backwards…
Those are the times when I try and remember to be easier with myself. When I keep in mind the adage that tulips don’t grow any quicker if you try to pull them up from the ground, or if you dig them up to see how they’re doing and why it’s taking so long to get a blossom. When I remind myself that it is ok to move slowly at times – that sometimes growth and progress take time, and that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening and no progress is being made.
It is always when I release my deathgrip and let it be ok that I’m not as far ahead as I think I “should” be…that I have the breakthrough and the growth and success come quickly and easily. You would think I would learn…
Allow yourself the grace to grow as slowly as you need at times. Celebrate the growth as you see it and enjoy the slower pace. If you have identified areas where you are simply standing still, come up with two actions you will take to move yourself forward.
Where are you growing slowly? Where are you standing still?
Click here to leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
If you want to grow more slowly, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Click here to receive The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog posts via e-mail and receive a copy of “Ending Leadership Frenzy: 5 Steps to Becoming a More Thoughtful and Effective Leader.”
Photo Credit: nruboc/Bigstock.com
