Naps are making a comeback. I'm seeing the health benefits of napping everywhere lately. Even naps at work are becoming socially acceptable. WebMD says, "America, It's Time for Your Nap." There's even an ongoing debate about whether we should get back to polyphasic sleeping — like 85% of mammalian species. Maybe this is part of the reason modern-day humans need naps. People who Live the Longest take Naps The people in the Blue Zones know a thing or two, since they live the longest … [Read more...]
Slow Hack 008: Your Entire Life is 1% of Recorded History
"Impermanence" is a word that I feel like is following me around lately. As much as we don't like to think about it, deep down we all know that we will be gone one day. But until then, here we are! We woke up today! How much time do we get? There are many different ways to measure time and a lifespan. We can look at the units of time we encounter most frequently and are most familiar with — seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. Or, we can zoom out and take a macro view — … [Read more...]
Slow Hack 007: Say “NO” Often to Say “YES” to What Matters
This is one of the most important slow hacks I'll ever write. Everyone and everything — every person in your life, company, brand, advertiser, product, service, you name it — wants a piece of your time. The pieces of time requested of you have no limit, but your total pie will always remain at 24 pieces (or, 24 hours per day). No more, no less. And when they're gone each day, they're gone forever. Society is speeding up. Everyone is busy, busy, busy. And, it seems like saying "no" is … [Read more...]
Slow Hack 003: Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? (5 Whys)
Ask "Why?" 5 Times • This slow living hack is easy to explain but difficult to implement (especially consistently). Asking "Why?" five times is a technique to help you get to the root cause of a problem. Simple as that! The origin of the technique is typically attributed to Sakichi Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno at Toyota Motor Corporation: We come across problems in all sorts of situations in life, but, according to Taiichi Ohno, pioneer of the Toyota Production System in the 1950s, 'Having no … [Read more...]
Slow Hack 002: Define Your Life Roles Using The Four Burners Theory
What is the Four Burners Theory? As far as I can tell, the Four Burners Theory originated in this 2009 article in The New Yorker. The burners are referring to the burners on a stove. "Not a real stove but a symbolic one." 'One burner represents your family, one is your friends, the third is your health, and the fourth is your work.' The gist, she said, was that in order to be successful you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful you have to cut off … [Read more...]
