Speed is the mantra of our times. Business jargon is filled to the brim with words like “acceleration,” “fast,” “momentum,” “agility,” “velocity,” because technology can help make some (not all) things exponential.
And our yearning to conquer, achieve, drive, elevate, gain ground, go ahead, launch, move forward, promote, make headway, propel, skyrocket, hasten, and push gives us a sense of progress.
Yes, we're going places.
But it's hard to turn this mental programming off when it comes to relationships... and even our own self-talk. We rush to conclusions. Poor decisions and bad habits are collateral damage of shooting from the hip. Hence, don't just do something, stand there.
Overthinking is a non-obvious after-effect of this programming. We ruminate about what we “should” have done, and fail to acknowledge what “is.” We worry about he future, and keep spinning at speed full of “what ifs.” Analysis-paralysis is a best-case scenario.
“Reframing rumination/worry as problems to be solved can help us gain new perspectives,” says Rachel Botsman. If we weren't in such a hurry, we could see the humor in the frantic.
Replace worry loops with self-talk in slow-motion. Can you imagine? I'm thinking the slow motion of Inception. In the unconscious dream, operatives in a van crash into the water ever so slowly. While Joseph Gordon-Levitt fights assassins in a hallway and the rest of the team escapes a snow fortress.
Extreme slow motion takes time to film... and to program. But the effect of reframing is brilliant: you see every single detail. The opposite of racing can give you new perspective. Try it. Let me know how it feels. I'd change the sound to ridiculous. Giggles assured.
Another way to change your lens is by widening the angle and casting your gaze over the long term. This is useful to re-prioritize how you make choices (strategy), and what you do (habits.)
It's another way to change the story, to change the outcome.