Be Like Tortoise: How to Keep Rhythm in Your life

Taking it back to the old school ‘cause I’m an old fool that hopes of you have a “Whoomp! (there it is)” moment by the end of this.

Let’s talk the Tortoise and the Hare…

The Hare pokes fun of the Tortoise for being slow.  The Tortoise, the REAL OG, challenges the Hare to a race.  The Hare arrogantly sprints out of the gates and MID-RACE decides to take a nap to mock Tortoise. The Hare stays sleeping peacefully as the Tortoise nears the finish line. Eventually, the Hare awakens and in a valiant effort tries to defeat Tortoise in the last moments, just to come up short.

Now, I have questions…

1.        How long was this nap?! The Tortoise was… a tortoise. I wonder if the Hare played off taking a nap to boast OR had he hit a wall from such a rapid start.

2.        How was the Tortoise THAT confident that his pace would result in a win? Personally, when I’m moving at Tortoise speed, I question if I’m moving at all!

This fable speaks to “Hustle Culture” in many ways.  Are you someone that only rests when you are far enough ahead? Or maybe you are someone who doesn’t recognize and/or give credit to slow progress.

This is what the Tortoise taught me:

Keep the rhythm.

How to Keep Rhythm in Your Life

Rhythm can be framed in different ways. I focus on stepping in rhythm daily, weekly and monthly.

Daily rhythm:  Take a moment for gratitude. Meditate or complete a mindfulness practice. Workout for 30-45 minutes. Eat a balanced diet.

Weekly rhythm: Write 1-2 blogs. Learn a new skill. Check in with a friend.

Monthly rhythm: Commit to 3-4 group engagements.  Journal monthly reflections.

Over time, stepping to a steady beat prevents burnout, increases resiliency, and ultimately builds confidence.

Be like Tortoise.