If there were a theme from recent conversations and correspondence with my friends, it would be unrushed.
I’m at an age when many in my circle have recently retired or are thinking about it. What I hear over and over is that they are, more than anything, enjoying or are looking forward to an unrushed pace. I notice this for myself, too. With a recently emptied nest and minimal outside employment pressure, I revel in the satisfaction of having time. Time to do things right. Time to choose what I’ll work on. Time to recharge. Unpressured by the demands of others, I can give my full attention to whatever I want—whether that is beginning to write a new novel or thoroughly cleaning the stovetop.
Being unrushed is a gift bestowed in the last third of life. But as a culture, we would do well to give the gift to younger generations, too.
Bending the curve
Jonathan Rauch’s book, The Happiness Curve, and the work of Dartmouth economist David Blanchflower found people experience their lowest level of happiness in midlife. The nadir comes at 47.2 years. From there on out, the curve bends upward, with those in their 80s and beyond experiencing the greatest happiness.
The malaise lifts as we age, experts say, because these years come with lessening responsibilities. Gone are the day-to-demands of young children, for example. Caring for elderly parents may no longer be an issue as well. And work pressures may now be in perspective or phasing out. There is simply less required. Sure, there are still just 24 hours in the day. But later in life, we have a little less we must do during those 24 hours. We become unrushed.
A slower work culture
In the domain of work, much of the rushing is of our own cultural creation. Which means it’s here that we may have some opportunity to re-engineer and slow things down—before retirement. But how can this happen without losing productivity?
Cal Newport, Georgetown computer science professor and productivity writer, has been exploring this concept, which he calls Slow Productivity. His thesis is that the sheer volume of expectations of employees produces generalized anxiety. As individuals, we try to relieve this anxiety by initiating the latest productivity system or by buying a new style planner. These are shiny-object weapons, though, ineffectual against a major existential threat.
Newport proposes three general approaches to both individuals and companies for slow productivity: do fewer things, do them at a natural pace, and obsess over quality. He contends that work cultures currently have a great deal of what he calls “overhead.” This is the non-work that takes time but doesn’t move a project forward, what he calls talking about the work before actually doing it. Eliminating overhead allows us to do less, but better, in a natural rhythm.
Rest periods are another suggestion from Newport. Working at a full-speed pace is exhausting. But so is taking it easy, full time. I believe most people function most efficiently—meaning they accomplish goals and have the space for creativity and new ideas associated with having time—when they have alternate periods of push and rest. Deadlines are one of the best “productivity” tools out there. But incessant deadlines can lead to burnout. They are not effective without slower-moving periods between, where there’s neural space for new ideas, growth, and creativity.
Stronger rhythms of work and personal life
I love that an increasing number of companies are moving to four-day workweeks, which creates a nice work/rest balance. The results seem very positive. Buffer, for example, found in a company-wide survey that 91% of the team felt happier and more productive working four days a week.
Part-time work is another way to loosen the rush, an option that particularly appeals to older employees. Provision Living conducted a survey of 1,032 working seniors 65+ in 2019, and 20 percent said they wanted to stay employed but cut back their hours.
Unfortunately, for most, it does not happen. SHRM reports, “Among workers in the U.S. ages 61 to 66, roughly 29 percent said they had planned to reduce their work hours as they transitioned to retirement, but fewer than 15 percent subsequently reported that they were partially retired or were gradually retiring from their jobs, according to a 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.”
While being unrushed is a very positive benefit of retirement, the focus and well-being associated with it would be a lovely upgrade for all ages in the workforce.
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