The Importance of Slowing Down

I’m sitting on the veranda of our rental house in Ojochal, Costa Rica…working. I’ll admit, it’s a pretty sweet gig! The sun is shining bright, there’s a nice breeze blowing off of the ocean, I just had lunch with my sweetie and my good friend, Mr. Nikon D850 is sitting next to me. I’ve got binoculars and The Birds of Costa Rica field guide here as well.

We do this every year now and I’ve found it helps my productivity for the rest of the year tremendously. I crave getting out of the office (although I love the office and our people) and being transplanted into a culture that moves slower and takes time to stop and appreciate things. Rush rush rush is not a thing we experience here.

I love the opportunity to think outside of my normal circumstances, to let my right brain take over every once in a while. I pick up my camera numerous times throughout the day to see what birdlife is in the trees or soaring overhead. And the sunsets are out of this world!

But I do work when I’m here. Yesterday I was answering questions and coordinating with a prospective client, setting up a call with a journalist that I’ll have later today, and researching marketing firms. There’s just something different about slowing down the pace, if just for a few weeks. It’s the recharge time I need after having been an entrepreneur for almost 15 years now.

I understand how lucky I am to be able to live this life and I am eternally grateful. But you don’t have to travel to Costa Rica to get a break from your work or stresses. It’s vital no matter who or where you are!

My business partner Neill Yelverton and I believe in the importance of offsite time. I the past, we have regularly used the beautiful space at Montreat Conference Center to lay out business goals and plans. Just that small separation from the ordinary can give you a different perspective.

It’s also important to be away from the phone and email for regularly scheduled times. The vast majority of us are not so important that we can’t turn off our communications for an hour or two a week to recharge and remember what it felt like before the electronics took over!

Slow down, take your time, be more intentional, be more forgiving and enjoy the ride. These are just some of the things I’ve learned from being a regular visitor to Costa Rica. But like I said above, you don’t have to be here to practice them. You can do it today, tomorrow and next week. Just put yourself in a Pura Vida state of mind.