The Power of Less

The Power of Less

Do you guys know that song by Alabama? "I'm in Hurry? (And Don't Know Why)". The lyrics go something like this…


I'm in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

As we finished out 2023, I felt like this was me. I was in a race to the finish line. Getting our end-of-the-year projects completed, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and for me, finishing up a semester of DNP classes. In a world that emphasizes speed and constant progress, it's easy to feel pressured to achieve MORE and work towards our goals at a breakneck pace. When it comes to Stat PD, I often think this. We are racing to scale the online platform. We need to grow faster, and there is more I need to do and achieve with this endeavor. However, I am learning that thoughts aren't facts, and I need to get in the habit of challenging this way of thinking.

As I began looking towards the new year, how I would like to live this next year differently, and the mindsets that I wanted to challenge instead of wanting MORE, my brain kept returning to LESS. Less stress. Less pressure. Less busy. What if we didn't need to move faster? What if there wasn't more I needed to do? What if all I really need to do is slow down, trust the process, and focus on finding joy in the journey? This is hard for me. I am an Enneagram 1 (read purposeful, self-controlled, perfectionist). My Clifton Strengths tell me I am a focused, futuristic achiever who loves learning and connecting with others. While these are great attributes that make me, me…they also make for a life of DOING and never really slowing down and simply BEING.

How can slowing down and doing less help me achieve my goals? Three actions come to mind when I think of how less or slowing down can turn into more or better results.

Practice Patience - We have become a society obsessed with immediate gratification. When we have to wait for something to happen, it can be challenging to do that without getting frustrated. Patience, however, helps contribute to long-term success, giving us the time needed for sound decision-making. Rushing into things causes us to make rash decisions and not thoroughly think about the impact of our actions. Moving slower provides the space to ensure what we are doing and working towards aligns with our values and allows us to make better decisions.


Find Joy in the Journey - It feels good to achieve goals, but that feel-good feeling only lasts so long. It is here, and then we move to chasing the next thing. When we only focus on the end goal during every step of the journey to get there, pursuing the goal isn't fun. It makes it feel like so much work. If that is the case, is it even worth pursuing the goal in the first place? Slowing down and finding joy in the journey makes achieving that goal fun again. The journey, after all, is where life is happening. Focusing on what we are learning and gaining from the journey itself gives us motivation to continue and makes the goal worth pursuing in the first place.


Trust the Universe - I know this is a little 'woo-woo,' but I firmly believe there is a higher power in this Universe that is guiding the process. Rushing and pushing to the next thing, obsessing over the details, and trying to maintain complete control over all the things make it feel like the Universe is working against us. Everything feels hard. Taking a step back and trusting that the Universe has our back and that it is working for us lightens the load and makes each step of the process feel so much easier. When things feel easier, it strengthens our desire to do the work needed to get us closer to our goals.

Now, I am not saying these are easy things to do. These three actions really go against everything those personality and behavior tests tell me about myself, but what if this is the key? What if this is part of what we need to do to achieve goals that align with our values and have it feel fun and easy while we do it? I don't know about you, but I'd say sign me up. That sounds like a life of meaning and purpose and something that, as human beings, we all need.

If you are like me, always thinking you need to be ‘doing’, I want to challenge you to work on simply ‘being’ instead. Slow down, find the joy in the journey, and trust that a higher power has your back if you will only allow your journey to unfold at its own pace. Remember, achieving success with your goals isn't about how fast you get there but about the richness of the experience along the way.