I Hate Speed Bumps…
Earlier this week I ran out to get food for a meeting at my office. I needed four drinks and of course they were out of the drink holders so they tried to pack them tight in the bag. As I drove away I held on to the bag with one arm and drove with the other (probably not the best idea).
I always cut through a neighborhood to get back to my office. It saves a little time. I forgot that this neighborhood has speed bumps so I had to proceed extremely slow (almost a complete stop) while holding onto the drinks so they would not spill.
As I was doing this I realized something that really I already knew: I HATE SPEED BUMPS.
I understand their purpose. They are there so that people will drive slowly. But that is actually the reason I hate them. In a neighborhood we all should understand that we should drive slowly. There may be kids running around or pets. The speed limit in residential area is usually 25 mph.
If the speed limit is 25 mph in a residential area then you should drive 25 mph. You should proceed with caution and decrease your speed when pedestrians are present.
In parking lots of shopping centers there are usually speed bumps. Isn’t it sad that we need them there? With all the people walking around and all the cars, we need speed bumps so that we don’t speed through the lot and potentially hurt someone. Why can’t we just do the right thing?
Although I hate actual speed bumps and the fact that they are needed, I do believe the idea of them is important for us as leaders. Hopefully you have made lots of progress on your 2024 goals. Although goals are important, we must remember to slow down from time to time to make sure we are still on track and to rest.
At the end of 2023, my family and I took two long trips both of which were speed bumps for us. It was our opportunity to slow down, relax and to look back and forward. We should try to schedule speed bumps every day. Not everyone can take a week vacation. Not everyone can go on a retreat to get away. But everyone can find 15 minutes some time in their day to slow down and reflect.
Years ago I wrote a book on this subject called Retreat to Success: Living Your Life on “Purpose”. In the book I talked about slowing down to discover your life’s purpose. The book is written as a journal and even gives you room to write and journal inside it. I suggest 15 minutes of quiet time every day.
This will change your life. It is a speed bump I don’t hate. It is a speed bump that requires personal responsibility, not one that is there because of the lack of it.
How do you feel about speed bumps on roads? Do you hate them like I do? Why? If they weren’t there would you take personal responsibility and follow the rules of the road?
How will you incorporate speed bumps into your life this year? How will they help you realize your purpose and work towards achieving your goals?
I encourage you slow down so that you can get going on your going! Let’s make it so that we don’t need the real speed bumps. And let’s embrace the speed bumps in our lives that we need to keep us fresh.
