Transform Your Business with “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”
- Betsy Richard
- May 29, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 10, 2024
It’s true that we’re all looking for ways to be more efficient and get things done. But all that hurry leads to a frantic lifestyle, especially for small business owners and executives.
Slowing down can actually enhance productivity and overall well-being.
Whether we’re searching for the shortest checkout lane at the grocery store.
Speeding to a red light and switching lanes at the last minute because the person driving the car in front of us looks like they’re not in a hurry.
Or always saying no to fun activities because we’re “swamped,” most of us are always in a hurry.
That’s our modern world. And what’s worse, some believe that being busy is being productive.
Let me share a valuable resource for those of you who relate to always feeling swamped. It’s the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer and it was recommended to me by my client, Dr. Brennon Kelly, the owner of Rise Chiropractic.
It’s a guide to slowing down and embracing a more intentional lifestyle.
In this blog post, I’ll explore the principles outlined by Comer and how they can transform business leaders looking to balance their professional ambitions and personal well-being.
Overview of the Book
"The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" calls for a deliberate escape from the modern epidemic of busyness. Comer argues that a hurried life leads to superficiality in both relationships and experiences.
"Hurry is not just a disordered schedule. Hurry is a disordered heart."
John Mark Comer
When we’re always in a rush to keep up with demands, we’re likely sacrificing crucial parts of our lives, such as meaningful relationships, time for deep thought and self-reflection, and our connection with a higher purpose.
Slowing down means we can prioritize what really matters and reclaim a sense of purpose and connection.
This is a Christian book. The author is a Pastor. But the lessons hold true for all of us, whether we’re looking to deepen our connection with God or looking for a different type of clarity and peace.
Particularly for those of us who run our own businesses or work in demanding careers, the four practices below will help you un-hurry.
Four Practices for Eliminating Hurry
Comer suggests four practices to help you decelerate life: silence and solitude, Sabbath, simplicity, and slowing. They’re simple, but not all that easy.
Silence and Solitude
In this section of the book, Comer highlights the importance of creating a calm environment free of distractions like background noise, the television, and music.
But that also means silencing our mental chatter. Whether we do this outdoors or alone in a quiet room, silence and solitude allow you to find clarity and deepen your connection with God.
Sabbath
We all know Sabbath as a holy day, the day when religious people go to church, the mosque, or the synagogue. But Comer’s concept of Sabbath is more than that.
It’s a lifestyle that allows time, whether it’s one particular day or an intentional time set aside, for rest and enjoyment. It’s about enjoying simple pleasures and giving ourselves time to reconnect with God, ourselves, and with others.
Simplicity
The first two practices will almost certainly help our relationships with others and ourselves. They’ll also change our feelings about material possessions and consumerism. This is where simplicity comes in.
Intentionally shifting our focus from accumulating things and silencing the mental chatter that compares us to others (often through what we own) means learning to be mindful about what we buy and resisting buying what we don’t need.
This, in turn, takes us back to enjoying the simple pleasures because so much of our restlessness stems from material desires in the first place.
Slowing
This fourth practice may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it easy to achieve.
Slowing your pace of life gives you time to align your schedule with your values and live more fully in the present moment. In this section, Comer lays out a few “rules” to help you slow down:
Drive the speed limit 🙂
Stop multitasking 🤔
Limit the use of smartphones and especially social media 😵💫
Spend time with loved ones 🥰
Practice mindfulness and meditation 🤗
Most of us are looking for ways to create a more balanced and meaningful life. Might eliminating hurry be the solution?
How Hurry Impacts Business Leaders
Business leaders and executives often face high levels of stress and busyness. They’re rushing to get everything done. And that constant rush can lead to:
burnout
impaired decision-making
a loss of connection with team members
a lack of creative or innovative ideas
Most know how important it is to allow time for reflection and deep thinking. With these practices, business leaders can create a healthier work-life balance while still increasing productivity.
Practical Tips to Eliminate Hurry for Business Leaders
The benefits of un-hurrying your schedule are great.
By prioritizing tasks effectively and learning to say "no," you’ll get back valuable time for the most impactful projects and decisions. By building a margin into your schedule, you’ll be able to deal with unexpected events without stress. By adopting regular mindfulness practices, you’ll maintain focus and clarity in decision-making.
Try Designating a “No-Meeting Day” Once a Week
How might designating one day of the week as a “no-meeting” day help transform your business?
Well, on a personal level, that day can become your day to catch up on tasks, clear out your inbox, or your time for deep uninterrupted work.
But you might try making this a company-wide policy: No-Meeting Thursdays, for example.
A 2022 MIT Sloan Management Review survey found that companies with meeting-free days saw improvements in:
Productivity, specifically a 71% increase when meetings were reduced by 40%
Cooperation, a 55% increase
Job satisfaction, a 52% increase
Improved employee engagement
Increased autonomy for employees
Better communication within teams
Employees reported feeling less stress, more empowered, free from micromanagement, and more accountable.
Hire a Business Consultant or Accountability Coach to Help
A skilled business consultant and executive coach will help you integrate these principles into your professional routine.
That’s what I do. I help my clients grow profitable enterprises AND craft a balanced, reflective approach to leadership and productivity.
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