Slowing Down to Go Further

We live in a culture that worships acceleration. More meetings, more content, more emails, more hustle, more ACTIVITY.  And yet—so many of us are running on fumes, sprinting toward burnout in the name of productivity.

Here’s the truth I’m learning a lot about lately, in both my personal life and professional life: sometimes the fastest way forward is actually to slow down.

Slowing down isn’t laziness. It’s leadership. It’s wisdom. It’s saying, I value sustainability over speed. I want my next move to be from alignment, not anxiety.

It often starts with a simple—yet deeply uncomfortable—word: No.

No to the invitation that feels more obligatory than meaningful.

No to the opportunity that’s good on paper but out of step with your values.

No to the version of yourself that’s addicted to proving, pleasing, or performing.

When we press pause, we create space for clarity.

And clarity is everything.

This summer, I’ve been learning (again) that pause is not punishment—it’s permission.

Permission to re-root in what matters.

Permission to check in with the values I say I live by and ask myself if my calendar actually reflects them.

Permission to choose rest, to wander a little, to trust that my worth isn’t in how much I accomplish, but in how fully I show up—to my people, to my calling, and to myself.

In Enneagram language, each type has its own version of this work.

• Type Threes might need to slow down long enough to ask: Who am I when I’m not achieving?

• Nines may need to recognize that true rest requires engagement, not escape.

• Sevens might have to sit still in discomfort and trust that missing out can be just as rich. (Read: JOMO).

Slowing down invites us to recalibrate. To remember what’s essential and release what’s performative. It’s not easy work, but it’s holy work. It’s the kind of recalibration that brings us back into integrity—with our hearts, our bodies, our dreams.

So here’s your gentle invitation:

Press pause.

Say no.

Create space.

And trust that in doing so, you’re actually building the foundation for something deeper, more durable, and wildly more alive.

Because going further doesn’t mean going faster.

It means going truer.

This requires vision. And that always starts with slowing down.

Love & Gratitude,
Katie

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Want more of this kind of soul-fueled reflection with a side of Enneagram wisdom? Join me for the Experiential Book Club this August—we’re reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and digging into what it means to let go so we can move forward with more freedom, clarity, and courage.