Slowing down is taking time for the moments in your life — it’s finding Elegant Simplicity.

Slowing down doesn't mean giving up on life. In fact friend, it’s quite the opposite.

It means not viewing life as a race to acquire or to be present at the next milestone...

So much of our lives is played out in fast forward — when we get finished with this, we move on to that. When we get over here, we can plan to go over there.

It’s as if we live in a world that values being busy. Tik Tok, IG, Facebook, Youtube… we live our lives according to a busy meter. An engagement level.

And all this is… a gauge for how productive, efficient + well… occupied our time is.

But there is probably no better time, than the present, to slow down + consider what that actually looks like for you.

What does productive, efficient, well-occupied time look like for you?

So, if we’ve got you hooked + engaged *wink* — then let’s steal some of that busy-time of yours to discover together what slowing down looks like. Shall we?

Slowing down is important because for high-achievers success is ever fleeting but significance remains.

What Does Slowing Down Mean?

There’s probably some general consensus here for what “slowing down” actually means but at Elegant Simplicity, we define slowing down as making conscious choices.

Making conscious choices about what we consume.

Making conscious choices about where we spend our money.

And making conscious choices about how we invest our time.

The more consciously aware we are about our choices — the more likely we are to be in tune with living by our own set of core values.

Why Slowing Down Is Important

Slowing down is important because for high-achievers success is ever fleeting but significance remains. Now stay with me… viewing success as ever fleeting isn’t a loser mentality — it’s an acknowledgment that we are constantly succeeding.

And with success, we evolve. Our goals change. In fact, when we achieve a goal — we’ve already set another goal. It’s not that we don’t acknowledge winning — but that feeling of success fades quickly.

In other words, having success can be a lot of work for a very small window of enjoyment.

So how do you find enjoyment… by slowing down. You find enjoyment in the journey.

And this is true for not only your life-goals, professional achievements but for your home.

Home Is Not A Place For Racing To Get It Done — Slow Down

Whether you’ve recently moved, undertaken a remodel or are in the process of building a custom home then you know this feeling — it’s an unconscious emotion that “just wants it done.”

Are we right? Truthfully, we know we are because for the better part of nearly 15 years we have worked with clients through every stage of home.

Unpacking or packing. Remodeling. Building. Furnishing + styling. We’ve done it. And what we know from that experience is… slowing down is integral to a good outcome.

Seattle professional organizing firm Elegant Simplicity helps clients learn the fundamentals to slowing down.

A Few Ways To Actually Slow Down At Home

Take Time To Reflect On What’s Important

Whether it’s your primary, secondary or tertiary residence… your home is one of the largest financial investments you make. And quite frankly, feeling overwhelmed when it comes to organizing or designing a home is all too familiar to so many of our clients.

And that’s because there’s a ton of decisions to be made.

And yet, taking the necessary time to reflect on what matters most to you, what you truly value + how you can ensure there is room for those things in your home establishes a clear foundation for creating home with everything you need + nothing more®.

Find Presence Alone

Being present — with yourself + with others is integral to home. It’s the place you relax, recharge + embrace who you truly are.

For so many of our clients at Elegant Simplicity, their work demands them to be “the parent in the room” and their home affords them the opportunity to not play a role but to be themselves.

Whether that’s sitting, meditating, reading a book or cooking — find presence by slowing down at home.

Be Present With Others

Don't let yourself become so caught up in being busy (there’s that world out there that demands it ya know *wink*) that you miss out on moments with friends and family.

Take an interest in other people's lives — experience their journey with them. This comes in the form of listening as much as it does in actually doing something.

Oftentimes, it's the simple living that really creates togetherness.

Declutter

When you think about decluttering, you probably default to “getting rid of things.” But at Elegant Simplicity, we view decluttering as identifying what to keep. And we believe that because to us, home is about creating a place that has everything you need®

What better way to slow down at home than to identify + uncover what those things actually are.

Organize

And once you’ve begun to identify these keepsakes, now it’s time to consider how you’re living in your home so everything has a space + everythings organized in its place.

We know that organizing is the foundation to home and organizing systems built around your everyday habits + routines are imperative. And because organizing systems are not merely a place for your belongings but rather a process that’s repeatable and intuitive… organizing your home is a great way to engage yourself in actually slowing down.

What You Say Yes To, You’re Saying No To Something Else

This is one of those slowing down methodologies that’s often easier said than done *wink*

In fact, if you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of things you have to do + you’re often left with the status quo of “there’s never enough time.” Then listen up boo…

Say no. Say no, more! And say no! Say no to doing things on your own (the DIY style), say no to the innate feeling of I can just get it done quicker if I do it. Say no to the things you don’t want to do but feel like you have to do.

Because there is a harsh reality that comes from saying yes. And that is… what you say yes to, you're saying no to something else. When you say yes to each + every request, you are saying yes to feeling overwhelmed, stressed + unclear in what you’re focused on.

Instead, slowing down is really promoting a lifestyle of only saying yes to the things that really matter most to you.

John Monte, co-founder at Bellevue professional organizing firm Elegant Simplicity, helps teach clients how to slow down.

Let Go… More Often

In order to truly embrace slowing down, you have to learn to let go. And we don’t mean letting go of belongings (we’ve discussed that already when we talked about decluttering).

What we mean by letting go, more often, is there will always be more.

Why Slowing Down In A World That Values Busy Matters