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Christine Louise Hohlbaum is a writer who is also the mother of two, wife, and expat living in Germany.
Her most recent book, The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World, takes a look at the the pressures of time and shows us how to make the most of the same 24 hours we all have per day.
Read my review with Christine on the right, then order the book from Amazon.com below.
Her most recent book, The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World, takes a look at the the pressures of time and shows us how to make the most of the same 24 hours we all have per day.
Read my review with Christine on the right, then order the book from Amazon.com below.
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World agreed to an interview with the release of her book on October 27.
Q: You are the mother of two school-age kids. "Slow" is not something I associate with busy moms. What made you decide to write the book?
Christine: Ironically, I dedicated my book to my two kids because they were my first teachers in slow. It is no secret that life changes when children arrive on the scene. They taught me that life can go at a slower pace and still be equally effective and productive. You see I am a recovering speed demon who used to think fast was the only tempo there was. Their presence reminds me daily of what's truly important and I choose my tasks wisely so as not to waste a precious moment doing something that doesn't feed into my ultimate life's purpose. How we spend our time and learn what truly matters is a life-long process of discovery and exploration.
Q: Tell me what "slow" means in your world.
Christine: Slow means mindful living. It does not mean failure, or stupidity, or a lack of generosity. It is embedded in the wisdom of choice. When we engage in the power of slow, we unleash shackled energy we have wasted stressing, rushing and worrying about things at a pace that obviously does not work for us. Slow is about setting your personal metronome so it beats at the tempo you feel most comfortable.
Q: A coaching client of mine told me today that his boss told him that "doing work quickly and correctly, and keeping quality high is not mutually exclusive." What's your take on that?
Christine: I absolutely agree. We can be extremely efficient and productive when we are focused on the task at hand. I certainly wouldn't want a doctor at the ER to move slowly. Nor would I want him chatting on his cell phone while he sets my son's arm after falling out of a tree. And that is the point of the power of slow. We actually save time when we utilize its principles. That means busting the myth of multitasking, which does not make you faster ~ it actually reduces the quality of your work. It is scientifically proven to fragment your focus and energy. In fact, there is no such thing as doing two comparably difficult things simultaneously. Our brains actual task-switch, concentrating on one thing or the other. Texting while driving is a marvelous example of hazardous multitasking.
Q: You must have had a series of experiences that led to this book. What was your "Aha!" Moment on time?
My "Aha!" moment came when my first-born was three. We were at the ice cream parlor and I, in typical speed demon fashion, was rushing my daughter along to decide why type of ice cream she wanted. It was then that I pulled the emergency brake on my life and realized, "What am I rushing toward?" I had been so accustomed to Corporate America and its pace of life that I was pushing my preschooler to make a snap decision about something as joyful as ice cream! I had long since quit my job and was a stay-at-home mom, but the machinations of clock combat were still deeply ingrained in my thinking. We walked outside to a beautiful, sunny day and sat while she ate the entire thing. It was magical.
Q: Most of us have to work to pay the bills and feed the family. How can we establish boundaries at work without losing our jobs?
Christine: Great question! CNN asked me the same thing this past summer. Years ago my husband took a vacation, then lost his job right after. It was a frightening experience. It is important for employers to get on board with the notion that a well-rested worker is a productive one. Learning to say 'no' with kindness and clarity is something I talk a lot about in "The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World". When we say 'no' to others, we say 'yes' to ourselves. I find formulations such as "Here's what I can do" and "I have an idea that might improve this even more" help sustain your boss or client's listening far better than a flat-out 'no'. Offer alternatives and constructive advice. Oftentimes your boss doesn't have the same perspective you do. Your valued advice could actually make you shine as you help him or her think about things in a new way.
Q: Women are often the caretakers of both young children and older parents, squashing their time into ridiculous expectations. What advice do you have for the "sandwich generation" of women?
Christine: We women are indeed pulled in many directions at once. Learning to take 'me-time' is mission critical when you are a caretaker. You can only give what you have. If your tank is empty, so are you. Take time to regenerate. Celebrate the 'ma', a Japanese term referring to the space between things. Plan your activities such that you have ten or fifteen minutes between them. Back-to-back action is often draining and over the long-term will wear you down. Bring back the 'ma' in me.
Q: We are taught to get our work done first, then play. A lot of the time, this means that there is no time left for play. Any suggestions?
Christine: It really is about setting priorities. Down time is as equally important as up time. Redefine the meaning of 'leisure' as a critical component to your productivity. You will find this simple mind-shift will permit you to engage in the things you love to do without thinking they are somehow 'taking away' from your work. In fact, it is giving back to it more than you can imagine.
Q: People seem to take some pride in being "crazy busy." Any danger in that?
Christine: Danger is perhaps too strong a word, but I have noticed that 'busy' is the new 'fine.' What I mean by that is people respond to 'How are you?' with 'busy' or 'crazy busy' much more often than the old stand-by 'fine!' Busy implies you are successful, but I would caution that activity does not always equal productivity. You can lead an extremely active life, but the wear and tear of it leaves you feeling depleted. That is a sign that you need to change something. Again, you can be active and fulfilled and still engage in the power of slow. It is about finding an alignment within yourself to know which speed suits you best.
Q: Are there any rules worth breaking in the standard time management advice? (Keep a to-do list, prioritize it into A, B, C-level tasks, tackle all the A-level first, etc.)
Christine: Oh how I LOVE this question! Surely, the Eisenhower principle that helps you discern urgent from important tasks is a key strategy, and I talk about it in the book. Fundamentally, however, it is about your personal relationship with time itself. I do not believe in time management. First, time is an organ- izing principle we established to make sense of our live so it is a construct based on mutual agreement. Second, we cannot manage or control time. We can only manage or control the things we do within the time that we have. I encourage people to think of time as friend. After all, we step into a relationship with it the moment we are born. If you think about it, we have an intimate relationship with time because it defines who we are. Our time and date of birth, for instance, is the first piece of evidence that we actually exist. In my book I debunk the myth of time as money. It is a construct that no longer works in our society. Time, in truth, means existence.
Q: How does a woman with kids make room in her life for a relationship?
Christine: We are all in relationship with each other. I like to think of life as a tapestry. We are interwoven with every individual in our lives. Metaphysically speaking, we are all one. So your relationship with your kids and your love relationship are all a part of a larger circle of connection. There is a reason for every season so making room in your life for a relationship simply means you are making it a priority and choosing to spend time with that person. The neat thing is we are all masters of our own ship. The choice is ours where we wish to navigate it. Hopefully, it will be in celebration of life and the time we have as the miracle it truly is.
Q: You are the mother of two school-age kids. "Slow" is not something I associate with busy moms. What made you decide to write the book?Christine: Ironically, I dedicated my book to my two kids because they were my first teachers in slow. It is no secret that life changes when children arrive on the scene. They taught me that life can go at a slower pace and still be equally effective and productive. You see I am a recovering speed demon who used to think fast was the only tempo there was. Their presence reminds me daily of what's truly important and I choose my tasks wisely so as not to waste a precious moment doing something that doesn't feed into my ultimate life's purpose. How we spend our time and learn what truly matters is a life-long process of discovery and exploration.
Q: Tell me what "slow" means in your world.
Christine: Slow means mindful living. It does not mean failure, or stupidity, or a lack of generosity. It is embedded in the wisdom of choice. When we engage in the power of slow, we unleash shackled energy we have wasted stressing, rushing and worrying about things at a pace that obviously does not work for us. Slow is about setting your personal metronome so it beats at the tempo you feel most comfortable.
Q: A coaching client of mine told me today that his boss told him that "doing work quickly and correctly, and keeping quality high is not mutually exclusive." What's your take on that?
Christine: I absolutely agree. We can be extremely efficient and productive when we are focused on the task at hand. I certainly wouldn't want a doctor at the ER to move slowly. Nor would I want him chatting on his cell phone while he sets my son's arm after falling out of a tree. And that is the point of the power of slow. We actually save time when we utilize its principles. That means busting the myth of multitasking, which does not make you faster ~ it actually reduces the quality of your work. It is scientifically proven to fragment your focus and energy. In fact, there is no such thing as doing two comparably difficult things simultaneously. Our brains actual task-switch, concentrating on one thing or the other. Texting while driving is a marvelous example of hazardous multitasking.
Q: You must have had a series of experiences that led to this book. What was your "Aha!" Moment on time?
My "Aha!" moment came when my first-born was three. We were at the ice cream parlor and I, in typical speed demon fashion, was rushing my daughter along to decide why type of ice cream she wanted. It was then that I pulled the emergency brake on my life and realized, "What am I rushing toward?" I had been so accustomed to Corporate America and its pace of life that I was pushing my preschooler to make a snap decision about something as joyful as ice cream! I had long since quit my job and was a stay-at-home mom, but the machinations of clock combat were still deeply ingrained in my thinking. We walked outside to a beautiful, sunny day and sat while she ate the entire thing. It was magical.
Q: Most of us have to work to pay the bills and feed the family. How can we establish boundaries at work without losing our jobs?
Christine: Great question! CNN asked me the same thing this past summer. Years ago my husband took a vacation, then lost his job right after. It was a frightening experience. It is important for employers to get on board with the notion that a well-rested worker is a productive one. Learning to say 'no' with kindness and clarity is something I talk a lot about in "The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World". When we say 'no' to others, we say 'yes' to ourselves. I find formulations such as "Here's what I can do" and "I have an idea that might improve this even more" help sustain your boss or client's listening far better than a flat-out 'no'. Offer alternatives and constructive advice. Oftentimes your boss doesn't have the same perspective you do. Your valued advice could actually make you shine as you help him or her think about things in a new way.
Q: Women are often the caretakers of both young children and older parents, squashing their time into ridiculous expectations. What advice do you have for the "sandwich generation" of women?
Christine: We women are indeed pulled in many directions at once. Learning to take 'me-time' is mission critical when you are a caretaker. You can only give what you have. If your tank is empty, so are you. Take time to regenerate. Celebrate the 'ma', a Japanese term referring to the space between things. Plan your activities such that you have ten or fifteen minutes between them. Back-to-back action is often draining and over the long-term will wear you down. Bring back the 'ma' in me.
Q: We are taught to get our work done first, then play. A lot of the time, this means that there is no time left for play. Any suggestions?
Christine: It really is about setting priorities. Down time is as equally important as up time. Redefine the meaning of 'leisure' as a critical component to your productivity. You will find this simple mind-shift will permit you to engage in the things you love to do without thinking they are somehow 'taking away' from your work. In fact, it is giving back to it more than you can imagine.
Q: People seem to take some pride in being "crazy busy." Any danger in that?
Christine: Danger is perhaps too strong a word, but I have noticed that 'busy' is the new 'fine.' What I mean by that is people respond to 'How are you?' with 'busy' or 'crazy busy' much more often than the old stand-by 'fine!' Busy implies you are successful, but I would caution that activity does not always equal productivity. You can lead an extremely active life, but the wear and tear of it leaves you feeling depleted. That is a sign that you need to change something. Again, you can be active and fulfilled and still engage in the power of slow. It is about finding an alignment within yourself to know which speed suits you best.
Q: Are there any rules worth breaking in the standard time management advice? (Keep a to-do list, prioritize it into A, B, C-level tasks, tackle all the A-level first, etc.)
Christine: Oh how I LOVE this question! Surely, the Eisenhower principle that helps you discern urgent from important tasks is a key strategy, and I talk about it in the book. Fundamentally, however, it is about your personal relationship with time itself. I do not believe in time management. First, time is an organ- izing principle we established to make sense of our live so it is a construct based on mutual agreement. Second, we cannot manage or control time. We can only manage or control the things we do within the time that we have. I encourage people to think of time as friend. After all, we step into a relationship with it the moment we are born. If you think about it, we have an intimate relationship with time because it defines who we are. Our time and date of birth, for instance, is the first piece of evidence that we actually exist. In my book I debunk the myth of time as money. It is a construct that no longer works in our society. Time, in truth, means existence.
Q: How does a woman with kids make room in her life for a relationship?
Christine: We are all in relationship with each other. I like to think of life as a tapestry. We are interwoven with every individual in our lives. Metaphysically speaking, we are all one. So your relationship with your kids and your love relationship are all a part of a larger circle of connection. There is a reason for every season so making room in your life for a relationship simply means you are making it a priority and choosing to spend time with that person. The neat thing is we are all masters of our own ship. The choice is ours where we wish to navigate it. Hopefully, it will be in celebration of life and the time we have as the miracle it truly is.
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