Getting things done by slowing down - real-life proof it works

This blog started life as an episode of my podcast, Unfrazzle. You can listen here if you prefer.

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that I’m always talking about why taking calm, quiet space to think and make good decisions about where to invest your precious time, energy and attention is not just a nice to have, it’s essential if procrastination, perfectionism, distractions and impulsivity are getting in the way of you getting things done.

One thing I’m not always great at, though, is giving you real-life examples of why I know that to be true.

So that’s what I’m going to do today, just in case you’re still resisting taking those moments of pause so you can get your head on straight about what’s important and create a plan you’ll actually follow.

I’m going to tell you about three people in my world who’ve all experienced the magic (which is actually sustainable productivity knowhow and neuroscience) in slightly different ways, so you can see what might be possible for you when you make these sorts of changes in your own life.

When life gets tough

First, let’s talk about one of my Make It Happen Club members.

Last year, her mum became seriously unwell. Thankfully she pulled through, but for my client it was a deeply distressing and difficult time. So of course business as usual was not possible.

I’d noticed that she hadn’t been showing up to our planning sessions, but I had no idea why until I received an email from her a few months ago. As well as letting me know what had been going on, she also shared this:

“The last planning session I did with you has been my guide. Timeframes shifted, but writing things down when I had clarity not chaos really helped me prioritise, focus and navigate the last couple of months. 

I just wanted to share even though I’ve not been around, the work we do really helps when life has other plans!”

Isn’t that amazing? Such a beautiful example of how it IS possible for thoughtfully created plans to steady the ship, even when the worst possible things are happening.

When you’re juggling a million things

Next up, let’s talk about Teresa Heath-Wareing. Teresa has been a client of mine since January 2023, and I know she won’t mind me saying because she’s said it herself, that before we worked together she’d often have so much to do she’d feel totally swamped, not know where to start and spend way too much time spinning in her chair.

When we first started working together, she was getting ready to run her first ever summit, launch a new podcast and beta test a new group programme. She had A LOT to do.

You might wonder how someone with such a long to-do list could justify spending two hours a month with me. You might think she’d be better off spending that time getting her head down and just getting on with it.

The trouble is, though, if she’d done that, she’d have been giving in to the pitfalls of her hot executive function – the part that steps in when emotions are high, and when everything feels important – increasing the risk of procrastination, perfectionism and distraction. (Take a look at this blog for a deeper dive into hot and cold executive function.)

Teresa recognised that the best way to reduce that risk is to step out of the swirl for a few hours every month, get clarity around what’s important, what needs to happen first, what can wait and where she can ask for help. Working through that with me allows her to do her very best thinking, and create a plan that makes sure nothing gets missed.

Because she’s a 1:1 client, I create an action plan based on the decisions we’d made together, and then all she has to do is follow it. And in the moments where things start to spin, she can just return to the plan and know exactly what to do to get back on track.

When important things are stuck on the backburner

Last but not least, let’s talk about Claire. Claire went on to become a client eventually, but before that she discovered that things finally get done when you take a pause, step back and get clarity.

She downloaded one of my free resources that guided her to find her focus and then take action. After months of procrastinating, that was all it took to finally get her website finished and out in the world.

Those are three very different scenarios, but in each case taking time out to think about what they’re trying to achieve and the steps they need to take to get there, served them well. For Claire it was a straightforward case of finally getting something done. For Teresa, it’s about keeping all the plates spinning and always knowing what needs to happen next if she’s going to keep all her projects moving forward. And for my Make It Happen Club member, having a plan to return to helped her know what was most important and what could wait during a very difficult time.

So if you’re still feeling you’re too busy to take regular time in the treehouse to pause, reflect and choose what gets your focus, I hope these real-life examples help you see that it’s time well spent.

What might become possible for you – how might you experience things differently – once you give yourself those purposeful and productive moments of pause?

As always I hope this helps, and look forward to seeing you again soon.