Are You Rushing?
Randy Wolken, President & CEO
It all seems to move too fast for me. I remember a slower time, a different era. Many days, I miss those slower times. However, I can’t go back – and neither can anyone else. The reality is, it’s different today. Life is swift.
My days are often packed with back-to-back virtual and in-person meetings, calls, emails, and endless distractions. Some evenings, I reflect on my day, and it feels like a blur. Do you ever have this feeling too? If so, you’re living the norm. According to a recent Gallup poll, most people feel rushed and hurried during their days. There’s even a term for it – hurry sickness. It seems that most of us want a slower life. So, how do we get one?
We slow down and find flow. I know it isn’t easy, but it is possible. As the great UCLA Bruin coach, John Wooden, would say, “Hurry but don’t rush!” As the head coach for 10 NCAA Basketball Championships, he seems to be a good guide. So, what does it mean to hurry, but not rush? When rushed, we make mistakes, tasks take longer, and we miss out on so much around us. Have you ever had the feeling of moving fast, yet feeling like you’re in slow motion? They have a word for this – flow. When we’re in flow, we’re moving at the right pace and getting a lot done. Find flow, and you can move quickly but not be rushed. You can excel without going crazy. Find flow, and you can be both happy and successful.
Flow is achieved when you enjoy what you do and get lost in it. Have you ever looked at your watch and suddenly realized time has flown by, but it feels like you just started? You were calm, operating effectively, and doing an amazing amount of work. You were in flow. You can now determine your formula for flow in your life. I’m convinced we can all find it. Once we’ve discovered how to do it, we can replicate it. Let me tell you about one of my flow experiences.
My favorite flow experiences are with other people in private conversations. I can get lost for minutes or hours in this state. In these moments, we jointly begin to imagine a different future. I usually find the future when I’m with someone and we’re actively listening to each other. We can then build on the ideas we’re sharing. I’ve seen fantastic new outcomes result from these simple sharing sessions. A few years back, I recall one such session was with Charlie Borgognoni, the former Executive Director of the CNY School Boards Association (CNYSBA).
Charlie approached me with an idea of working together. We had an initial conversation, and we were in flow. We dreamed about what working together might mean. We talked about MACNY and CNYSBA. We spent a good hour together, yet it seemed like only minutes. We didn’t know it yet but that day, we created the affiliation between MACNY and CNYSBA. Two years later, our boards signed an agreement to affiliate and help create the workforce of the future for our region! This is what flow can do for you – and everyone around you! My team and I now collaborate daily with the staff of the CNYSBA to create exceptional outcomes every week!
Do you know how to create flow in your life? Can you learn to slow down so you can hurry but not rush? Can you help others discover their own flow experiences and how to recreate them when they most need or want to? Make this new year one of flow. It will offer you both success and greater satisfaction.