My journey to slow living from an intensely hustle-based life

Last year was one of the craziest years of my life (but not in the way that everyone's talking about the year 2020).

Last year a lot of things happened. Once COVID hit, my business actually skyrocketed. I was so happy. I had doubled my income from right before COVID. What a huge win.

But in classic Sarah fashion, this was the start of an intense year that crushed me.

Let me preface with this. Last year I discovered I was a Manifesting Generator in Human Design. I hadn't really known anything about Human Design before that so I didn't know what that even meant.

I had struggled a lot in my life; at one point, I was actually contemplating seeking an ADHD diagnosis (I already have a Sensory Processing Disorder Diagnosis, so not a far stretch). I hated change, especially when something comes up that's out of my control, that is outside of my comfort zone, however, I am impulsive, I change my mind like I change my socks, I work at supersonic speed, and once I change my mind to the next thing I like, I dive into with a determination and it becomes all-encompassing.

So I think you can see where this story is going.

With the added clients and projects, I dove in, needing and wanting to do everything and prove how "good" I was. I had this desire to have all of my clients rave about my amazing I was all the time to everyone.

But it was too much for a single person, for any person.

So eventually, of course, everything started to crumble. In the summer, I hit the first wave of burnout. I lost clients, I made mistakes, I couldn't train my subcontractor properly. I was tired.

But I had to keep going. I just had to. Or so I told myself.

So I did. I thought if I could just "catch up," then things would get easier. But I never caught up.

So we hit October, November, December, and it was all kind of a blur. But by this time, I was so unhappy in my business (I thought I hated it!) and I had a new passion: Sustainability, health, wellness, and lifestyle.

I was desperately searching for something else, and I have always been passionate about health and wellness. I am a Physical Literacy expert and have some personal training courses.

One day I was on Instagram and I saw someone post about this idea of "slow living." It was not even something I had any concept of.

"Wait, there are successful, non-lazy people who live their lives at a slower pace?"

I was so struck by this idea of slow living. That I could be successful and not have to hustle so much.

For my entire entrepreneur journey, I was bombarded with messages of reaching 6-figures or 7-figures and #HustleLife. So, at first, I wasn't even sure slow living would work, but the more I watched, the more I fell in love.

In December, I was in the worst state of burnout I'd ever been in. I would just stare blankly at my screen, in meetings I couldn't think of words (I even started to slur words).

I took two weeks of holidays during Christmas. I was planning on getting so much of my own work done... But I got nothing done.

I spent the entire two weeks doing non-stop self-care. I kid you not. I had begun to realize that hustling and working hard was actually making me less productive.

So I changed my tone. I dove into self-care head-on and made a pact with myself that 2021 would not look like 2020. I was going to live a slower life.

So what did I love about slow living the most?

1. It was more sustainable.

No one can work at supersonic speed for their entire life. No one. At some point, you tap out and crash, and your clients, your friends, your family, and your kids suffer from this crash.

You're not helping anyone, sometimes you can actually end up hurting them. You think you need to do it all and give everything you have to everyone else, but I hate to say it.... You end up doing more damage than you do good.

The work I was doing wasn't good quality work. It was fast, and it was done, but it wasn't good. I wasn't spending time with my fiancé, and it was taking a toll on our relationship. I was a bad friend. Everything.

2. There was another way to live.

I'm not saying that the hustle and hard work extreme is the wrong way to live and slow living is the right way to live; it's just one way to live. The hustle and work hard just didn't work for me.

But at the time, I felt like hustle was the only way to succeed; the only option was to strive every minute of every day for that big, lofty 6-figure life. I didn't know there was even another feasible way to do life.

I looked at others who didn't work as much as me and envied them, not understanding that I personally could live another way. 

This was an eye-opener.

3. Slow living gave me permission to do more of what I loved while still succeeding in business/life.

I love how empowering the concepts are. It was so encouraging to be told I could do more of the activities I loved and still be successful in my business, actually more successful.

By spending more time doing things slower and allowing myself to do activities I love without the fear I was falling behind with work, I will actually increase my productivity.

Throughout the day we usually get tired and things start to get harder, mistakes are made, and you have to spend time fixing those mistakes or longer on a task because you can't seem to focus on it. So instead, you take breaks, you do a slow activity, you go back to work, and you are even more alert and focused, so the task is completed more accurately and efficiently. It's amazing.

2021 will not be the same year as 2020 for me. I've learned that focusing on myself and what I need isn't selfish like I've always thought and is the normal dialogue you hear from others. By focusing on myself, I end up being more of service to others while having a strong and healthy mind and body.

It's completely a win-win.

So that's my journey to slow living. Think it's a bit short? You're right!

I'm still on it. I'm reading about it, I'm on the waitlist for a slow living course by a mentor I admire. I am learning. I am growing. I am focusing on my thoughts and what makes me the best version of myself and not the judgement of others.

Want updates on how my slow living journey goes? Follow me on Instagram. I'll share all about it.