Why Slowing Down Accelerates Success … and takes practice

As the days grow shorter and darkness settles in earlier each afternoon, conventional wisdom might suggest we should power through with extra coffee and sheer determination. But successful leaders know that doesn’t work. They lean into the slowdown rather than fighting against it. Strategic rest (what some might call laziness) isn’t the opposite of productivity, it’s the foundation of sustainable high performance.

The human brain simply cannot maintain sustained focus for extended periods, with performance declining significantly after continuous work without breaks. When we ignore this biological reality and push through anyway, we risk burnout and actively sabotage our decision-making quality, creativity, and overall effectiveness. Decision fatigue sets in after long periods of work, leading to simplistic decision-making and procrastination. Creativity might as well take the week off because nothing “creative” is coming out of a tired brain. People who understand this (where are you?!) know that they must honour their brain’s natural rhythms. Take that, hustle culture.

Lazy or Smart?

We need to redefine what being lazy actually means.It’s not about being unproductive or disengaged. It’s about giving yourself permission to restore … without guilt … a skill that most high-achievers find more difficult than running a marathon while solving complex equations.

Winter offers us a permission slip: earlier sunsets, colder weather, and a natural invitation to turn inward. 

What does this look like in practice?

It’s watching snow fall while wrapped in a blanket with tea (bonus points if you lose track of time). It’s reading fiction that has nothing to do with your strategic plan (even romance novels or fantasy epics where nobody learns leadership lessons). It’s making soup that simmers for hours, lighting candles for ambiance alone (not “aromatherapy for focus”), or taking an afternoon nap when daylight fades at 4:30pm. It’s long baths, rewatching comfort shows you’ve seen a dozen times, baking bread just to enjoy the smell, or going to bed early without checking one more email. It’s sitting by a fire doing absolutely nothing, and resisting the urge to call that “strategic thinking time.”

No judgment about what brings you peace. Whether it’s puzzle-building, colouring, or staring out the window like a contemplative cat, the activity matters less than the intention: genuine rest.

Practicing the Art of Doing Nothing (Yes, It Takes Practice)

For many high-achievers, being lazy doesn’t come naturally. If you’re the type who colour-codes your calendar and feels twitchy without a to-do list, this section is for you. Being lazy is a skill, and like any skill, it requires deliberate practice. You may need to take a few runs at it before mastery … or you may never master it. But there’s value in the practice. 

Here are some micro-practices to get you started:

• The 5-Minute Stare: Set a timer. Look out a window. Just observe. No phone, no mental to-do lists, no suddenly remembering you need to email someone. Work up to 10 minutes over time. If your brain screams “THIS IS WASTEFUL!” congratulations – you’ve identified exactly why you need this practice.
• Schedule “Nothing Time”: Block 15-30 minutes on your calendar as “Buffer” or “Think Time” and use it to genuinely do nothing productive. Protect these blocks as fiercely as you would a board meeting. When someone tries to schedule over it, channel your inner boundary-setting superhero.
• Single-Task Comforts: Drink your coffee and only drink your coffee. Read and only read. Practice doing one restorative thing at a time without layering productivity on top. Revolutionary concept, I know.
• The “Good Enough” Practice: Leave dishes in the sink. Leave the email for tomorrow. Practice saying “this is good enough for now” and mean it. The world will not implode. Probably.

Your Winter Experiment

This week, I challenge you to take three intentional breaks daily and track what happens (yes, I see the irony of making rest into a trackable experiment, but I know my audience):

1. Morning Break (10 minutes): Before checking email or diving into work, do something that makes you feel cozy or peaceful. Notice how it affects your entire morning.
2. Midday Break (15-20 minutes): True lunch away from your desk, a short walk, or sitting with your eyes closed. Non-negotiable. If you’re currently eating sad desk salads while on Zoom calls, this one’s for you.
3. Evening Transition (15 minutes): Create a ritual that signals “work is done.” This is especially for people who don’t have a commute. Change clothes, light a candle, make tea. Something that bookends your day before evening activities begin. Closing your laptop and immediately opening it in a different room doesn’t count.

Throughout the week, pay attention to your energy levels, creativity, decision quality, and mood. If you’re really into it, write down what you notice. At week’s end, ask yourself: Did “doing less” help you achieve more of what matters?

The Paradox Resolved

Winter teaches us what every successful leader eventually learns: growth isn’t always visible, and the most important work sometimes happens when we’re still. Your ability to rest isn’t a weakness or a luxury; it’s a strategic skill that might be the one you need to practice most deliberately.

As darkness falls earlier each day, consider this: What if the change of season is there for us to also change pace? What if the real competitive advantage isn’t who can grind the hardest, but who can rest the smartest? What if slowing down is exactly what will accelerate your success?

Now go forth and be strategically lazy. Your future high-performing self will thank you.