Finding Your Essence Pace
“Is Cal Newport Drunk?”
I asked this while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Deep Questions. But I was frustrated and confused by this episode. The information being presented wasn’t landing as useful, my mind wandered away, and I decided that the host must be drunk. I gave up on him at that point - not without some disappointment and judgy grumbling.
The next show I chose was tiresome. Pure drudgery. These people sound wasted, too! What the fuck was going on?
You’re not drunk!
I’m playing at drunk speed!
Truth is, I’d been struggling with the audio system in my car - responding to a text through the car audio system, finding a good podcast to listen to, skipping the ads, etc. The screen was covered in pollen (Hello, June in New England) and I wasn’t wearing my glasses. Ooops... 0.8 speed. I’d inadvertently set the playback speed to 0.8 or 80% natural speed. They weren’t drunk, I was listening at a drunken pace! I had a good laugh at myself and offered a humble apology to Cal Newport.
(I don’t think he could hear me, but whatevs.)
There is an activity that I’ll share with you that mimics the sensation of operating at a misaligned pace:
Finding your Essence Pace
Here’s what to do:
Go on a walk or get yourself to a wide open space where you can move freely. About the length of an Olympic swimming pool (or a city block if that’s a better image for you.) If you are unable to walk, this can be done in a chair by moving just your hands, or your fingers. Simply visualize these cues and do what you can.
As you walk or move, speed up to a pace that feels rushed. Faster than a casual walk.
Move at that pace for one minute. Notice how it feels in your body to be going so fast.
Then gear up into overdrive and move in a way that feels frantic. Almost out of control. Use your arms and your whole body (Yes, people may look askance. And no one’s judging you for long. Oh well, they’re weird, too.) Do this for as long as feels do-able. Notice how it feels in your body to go this quickly.
Now slow down to the opposite end of the spectrum. Go at a snail’s pace. Sludge. One foot landing softly and slowly for one minute. Teetering on falling over you’re so slow. Notice how it feels in your body to be going so slowly.
Then speed up to frantic speedy again for a half a minute. Notice your body again.
Then slow to a pace that feels comfortable. Not rushed. Not sludgy. Keep going.
Feel your arms and shoulders. Can they drop down from your ears and relax?
Notice how you’re holding your head. Are you looking further out in front of you?
Feel your hips and legs. Can they easefully carry you forward? Maybe there’s even a swing in those hips - werk it.
Somewhere in the midst of all of those speeds and postures is where you uniquely feel centered, focused, and present. Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks calls it your “Essence Pace” and she designed this exercise for harnessing our body wisdom to find presence.
When I’m grounded, I’m responsive rather than reactive. Creative and curious rather than judgemental. Energized rather than exhausted.
Going to the extremes is what allows us to find our own homeostasis - our center.
Going from 2.0 to 3.0 to 0.01 to finding our 1.0 at the moment. That pace is then applied to our efforts outside of the exercise. As we say in yoga: How we live off the mat. How we interact with colleagues and family members. How we solve problems, plan our time, manage upsets, prioritize tasks. Operating at our essence pace allows us to discern what is within our control and what is not. It sets the scene for taking radical responsibility - not more than 100% and not less than 100%. Because we’ve chosen to check in with what feels right - in our bodies.
In my experience, my essence pace is not always the same. I may be excited about an idea and a faster pace feels comfortable. I may be struggling with a challenging problem and my essence pace is more plodding and intentional. It’s the act of noticing what my body is feeling at any moment that takes me back to a state of presence. When I’m grounded, I’m responsive rather than reactive. Creative and curious rather than judgemental. Energized rather than exhausted.
As you finish reading this, see if you can get honest: What’s keeping you from trying this out? What side of the spectrum is that voice coming from? From fear of being judged? From the sense that there’s no time for it? That you should be doing something more “productive” with your time? That this is great for other people, but it’s not for you?
My hope is that there’s no resistance to trying it out. If there’s hesitation, coaching offers the opportunity to move through the resistance. The permission, if you need it, to prioritize what you can imagine for yourself. To prioritize building skills to help navigate the resistance we create in ourselves.
Curious about coaching for yourself? Schedule a discovery call - a free 60 minute conversation that could adjust the speed at which you're moving.
and PS: I’m genuinely curious if there’s anyone out there that chooses 0.8 when listening to podcasts. What’s the benefit to you of doing it that way?
Essence Pace
Going to the extremes is what allows us to find our own homeostasis - our center. Going from 2.0 to 3.0 to 0.01 to finding our 1.0 at the moment.