Slowing Down: Actions
In my last post, I summarized a talk, Slowing Down, that I had facilitated recently at Agile Open Northwest. There was a fair amount of interest in the topic and some folks mentioned that I should do a follow on session focused on specific things we could do to start slowing down. It was a call to action. Once again, I walked into the session with very little idea of what would happen and how it would all work out.
The Session
The session got off to a bit of a funny start. I started by giving an introduction to the session, and creating some posters, and taping them up, and balancing my first cup of coffee for the morning – all at the same time. Yes, you got it – I was a multi-tasking madman! Of course I promptly tipped my precious coffee into the box of supplies, thereby destroying the supplies for the session and depriving myself of the coffee I so desperately needed. I couldn’t have put together a better demonstration of attempting too much if I had tried. After that little disaster, I slowed down a bit. We decided to put together two lists: Things to start, and things to stop. Here is what we came up with (in no particular order):
Things to Start
Ignoring email
Make a list and then throw it away
Doodle
Completing actions
Schedule empty space
Intentionally doing nothing
Reducing my WIP
Turn off email for 1-2 hours per day
Using Pomodoro more regularly
Get a dog
Draw a picture
Gratitude
Listening to music each day
Exercise – setup yoga with group or something else with coworkers
Start reading more about Agile
Observe my thoughts without judgement
Start acting like a toddler
Reading for fun
Walking slow
Notice my breath and how it feels
Eating lunch NOT at your desk
Watching grass grow
Amble
Phone stacking at lunches and dinners and meetings
Being present
Watch waves roll in
Saying single sentences only
Finishing things
Reward slow actions
Things to stop
Stop carrying laptop
Stop reading more than 2 paragraphs
Stop burying the lead in emails
Multi-tasking
Don’t go to Agile 2013
Stop reading everything related to the next meeting’s topic. Be prepared to be unprepared.
Stop working through the 12:00 hour and go for a walk
Stop waiting for permission to initiate change
TV
Stop reading everything all the time
Stop solving problems without asking 3 questions first
Stop trying to fill the void of silence first
Stop avoiding nagging release issues
Stop checking email on my phone every time I have a spare moment
Stop checking email before I go to sleep
Remember there is always tomorrow…
Stop checking IM’s the instant that they arrive
When I’m at a conference, stop going to every session. Take time out each day to just go outside
Stop having talks longer than 25 minutes
Stop bringing anything on a trip that I didn’t use last time
Ditch watch
Drive less
Turn off email
Work less by taking a 3 week vacation
Imitrex
Recommended books
Personal Kanban
The Tao of Pooh
The Shibumi Strategy
The Tao Te Ching
Pomodoro Illustrated
Obviously we captured a lot of “stuff” here. Some of it I really like, and other things I will probably never try. I’m committed to trying many of them. I’m still absorbing, so for now I’ll take it one day at a time. Once again, I’m grateful to those who participated in the session. I hope some of these ideas serve as a starting point for others in the same fashion they have for me.
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