Don’t be a skimmer

My first job out of college was working inside sales at a chemical manufacturer. Much of the job required a degree of problem solving and detective work to resolve customer issues.

Veterans of the department knew this. And they were critical of the newbies who didn’t slow down to do the work to find answers. They had a name for them. They were the “skimmers.”

One of the dangers of moving too quickly through life is not slowing down enough to go below the surface. You just skim along.

Photo by Jenn Wood

Maybe this is you. 

See if any of these resonate.

1. Chase the why.

If you have committed to a particular strategy or course of action, but it doesn’t seem to fulfill the objective, you might be solving for the wrong problem. Go a few layers deep. Ask yourself, “what will that strategy do for you? And what will that do for you?” Keep asking this question until you arrive at the real desired outcome. Then design a strategy to achieve that.

2. Move through your emotions

If you have a sense that you are (fill in the blank - annoyed, frustrated, overwhelmed, you name it) but don’t slow down and get curious, you won’t be able to move through the emotion. It will linger like a gnat hovering around your head at a summer picnic. 

This creates a massive drain on your energy. If you can slow down enough to name the emotion and acknowledge it, then you can inquire what it is pointing you toward. Only then can you move through the emotion and into decisive action. 

3. Tune into your compass.

High performers know what it takes to achieve, and if you’ve been focused on external rewards, you aren’t tuning into the internal indicators designed to facilitate self-leadership. If you have a sense that you’re living someone else’s idea of who you should be, it might be time to slow down and listen.

4. Allow others to know you

Surface level interactions are safe because you don’t have to risk being vulnerable. But what you’re missing out on is the deep human need for connection, where you can be seen, known, and valued for who you are.  

5. Be curious

Curiosity will lead you to surprising insights, new levels of clarity, solutions not initially visible, and even rethinking your beliefs. Every time you exercise your curiosity, you tap into a superpower that has been with you your whole life.

6. Notice the world around you

When you are skimming along, you don’t take the time to notice details around you. You aren’t present. When you pause, and start noticing, you see things you didn’t see before. This allows you to see new possibilities. When you notice the natural world—trees, clouds, wind, birds, things that you experience through your five senses—you get grounded and present. You get out of your head and into your body. There is no substitute for being present. That’s where you bring your magic.

Here’s a counter intuitive truth: slow down to speed up. Slowing down to go deep will propel you into the future you are creating.

Where do you need to slow down and go deeper? Stop skimming and go deep.

Love,

Audrey