Playing With Pace

Just before lunch time today, I had the following conversation with my 6 year old son:

ELLIS: Mom, why didn't you pick me up in the car?
ME: Because I like to walk.
ELLIS: And walking gives us energy.
ME: Yes, it can, and it also uses energy. Running uses energy too. 
ELLIS: Where do we get energy from?
ME: We get it from food and from sleep.

And so the conversation continued, all the while talking about how our pace and our energy level's worked together or against one another.

We walked, we ran, and we skipped back home, exploring how we felt in each moment. When the raindrops started falling on our heads, we didn't necessarily pick up the pace, we just kept playing.

The conversation was quite serendipitous because earlier this morning I participated in a healing circle where we spent our 90 minutes sharing around the idea of transitions, and more specifically, around the pace of transitions. 

One thing that often comes up in my work with leaders and organizations is how to handle the pace.

• How to handle back-to-back meetings,
• When saying "no" is appropriate because you need to re-energize,
• Where and how to create white-space to think more intentionally,

And so many more questions, that seem to butt up against the fast-past, be more productive and efficient, ever-changing business world.

Luckily, I don't have to have the answer!

Instead, I create the pause, and slow down the pace, just long enough for them to connect more deeply with themselves, with the ideas put-forth in whatever book we happen to be reading, and find the answer within, so that they can make the changes outside themselves.

Do you have a preferred pace?

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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