Why do clumsy accidents happen to good people?
This morning at 5am, I am standing at the expert traveler security line (the TSA‘s fancy privilege for frequent air travelers – and of course I consider myself one but read on for the irony). One wrong move in my haste to get through the security X-rays and over the clamor of people behind me, I hear Coco, my darling MacBook Pro, fall to the ground! My heart drops way low into my belly and I am gasping for air. What in this world have I done? Thankfully, the extra cushions with which I had housed her protect her life and the heavens spare me an emotional and financial disaster this time.
During an otherwise uneventful bath on a winter evening, in one swooping and regretful motion, I manage to drop my Blackberry into a tub filled with nothing but bubbles and hot water. Think “submerged” for a sensitive electronic device. Think panic and desperation and a dead smart phone.
Two weeks ago just before dawn, I am carrying my book downstairs to start my day and bam! I miss one step and tumble down seven more to land hard on my left cheek. My husband did not need an alarm that morning to know it’s time to get up and for days afterward, a big purple bruise startles me into an unnecessary reminder about the lousy fall.
In immediate response to all these events, there is always one loud and clear message from my inner voice: Slow Down and Pay Attention, please!
Running into walls. Jamming my toe into objects such as furniture and dishwasher (not the tiny objects, mind you). Missing a step. Losing precious items. Bruising myself frequently. Making silly mistakes. Such is the unnecessary drama of my every day life. The confession of such blunders no doubt paints me as a clumsy and unorganized person. Allow me to set the record straight: I refute the veracity of both assumptions. I am super organized; there is a place for everything and everything is actually in its place. I am also not clumsy when I pay attention and have all my wits about me.
My main problem is that I am in too much of a hurry all the time! And the comical irony of life turns that haste into unnecessary delays in my path. In my haste to arrive at my goals with remarkable efficiency, I flounder where I could excel. In sour realization, I know every mistake in this particular category is completely avoidable if I just slow down. It is entirely up to me to avoid each and every one:
I could have been more careful in placing Coco into the security line and positioning the box correctly on the conveyor belt before stepping away. No accident, no fall.
I could have avoided submerging my Blackberry by simply remembering that I put it on my towel, by refusing to bring it in the bathroom altogether or even by simply looking before pulling out the towel from underneath. No submerged smartphone.
I could have completely avoided the staircase fall by walking slower and holding the rail. No purple cheek. No pain.
Small changes make a Big difference:
Why live with such regrets when I could deplete them from my life altogether if I just slow down a little?
For as long as I can remember, I have been in an unnecessary hurry in life. I am running against the hourglass of life, glued to my goals and tasks, big or small. Efficiency and productivity are core to my identity but is the extra haste necessarily worth all the drama? Can small changes make a big difference and still allow me to be true to my core? Can slowing down rather than speeding up help me get ahead in life?
Excuses are never the answer to life’s avoidable problems. I refuse to accept that I have clumsy tendencies or irreversible habits of a hasty nature. Even if an ounce of truth is present in those arguments, which I do not believe, I plan to eradicate them altogether with simple, measured steps. These will be the last of silly, avoidable incidents, I tell myself over and over like a mantra and here are the steps I plan to follow to create new habits void of unnecessary haste.
1. Set Simple Rules to Follow:
These rules can belong to specific situations and they can be borderline silly but it little matters if it keeps you uneventfully safe. Here are my new rules:
No phones near bathrooms or showers or next to my hot cup of tea.
Always hold the rail when going downstairs.
Never talk on the phone while emailing or vice versa.
Always guard your electronics in transit.
Always place valuables in the safe before leaving a hotel room.
And so on and on.
Then memorize and follow the rules religiously. Use the phrase as a mantra to tell yourself over and over, loud and clear, until it becomes second nature. Fight complacency to keep your mind fresh and sharp!
2. Slow Down and Pay Attention:
Most of the dramas stem from lack of attention and ungodly haste. Attention to detail often takes just seconds but failing to pay attention can cost you upwards of minutes and hours later. Being present in every task is only fair; why would you dwell on a past action, a present thought or a future worry when none matter so much as the task at hand? Slowing down a little is a much better trade-off than saving 3 minutes as a result of always hurrying. I know this from experience the rare occasions I have followed my own advice! Now I plan to know it more and more from a well-established habit of slowing down and paying attention.
3. Be Selective when Multi-tasking:
It pays to be extremely selective about multi-tasking. In fact, I am rather against it! Most oversights happen as a result of multi-tasking because your attention divides and your focus shifts from one area to another. Multi-tasking is a master at attacking and weakening that full-on attention zone. Breaking the cycle of doing things this way takes real effort but small changes go a long way. Start with single tasking on your top priorities and repeat until the behavior becomes second nature to you. Over time, less oversights shall befall you with this approach and what a relief to escape these avoidable mistakes in life!
Think Before you Act:
I am not talking about pausing for 20 minutes to reflect on everything you do. I mean collect your thoughts and think for 30 seconds or even 10 seconds before you embark on tasks. Thinking will naturally slow you down and remove the unnecessary haste. It will collect your thoughts and focus your attention where it belongs and I am willing to bet it will deplete those clumsy accidents and save you and me heaps of heartache and regret.
Counter-intuitive as it may be, slowing down and thinking before we act with haste will help us get ahead in life.
Share your Thoughts:
Tell me please: Am I the only one with such unnecessary haste and hurry to get through the day’s events? Have you perhaps slowed down in life, by accident or on purpose, and seen the unusual outcome of getting ahead and being on track more often? Share your thoughts and start a conversation in our comment section below!
If you like what you read here, please subscribe to my blog post updates via your favorite RSS reader or the Email updates.
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Farnoosh
Sounds as though you have really been in the wars – good to see that you are still in one piece.
“More haste less speed” just about covers it.
Rest assured, you are not the only one with the problem, we all rush about like scalded chickens.
Trouble is, we only slow down after the accident!
Thanks for the timely reminder.
Keith, I am a warrior every day in my own life, I swear……but it’s wonderful to know I am not the only”scalded chicken” – too funny. Thank YOU for being a loyal reader.
Hi Farnoosh,
Oh, the bumps and drops of life. But…
Isn’t accepting your tendencies and nature the first step (small change?) in steering them in the direction of your choice?
Have Fun,
Jim
Hi Jim,
! It’s good to see you here, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Accepting them is indeed the first step but this one has got to change, if in fact it is a natural tendency
Farnoosh, It felt like this post was written for me! I am such a multi-tasker and we all know what happens when we carry too many watermelons with one arm!! Thanks for another great post!
Sahar, you too? I am so glad it spoke to you. I am always carrying one too many, what one earth am I thinking because I surely keep dropping a few here and there! Thanks for sharing that thought!
Hey Farnoosh,
…and I can relate!
I recall this one time, in a hurry – and I ended up in a minor car accident. Everyone was okay…the car though…a bit of damage (and cost!). That was a great lesson for me – that saving a few seconds just wasn’t worth it. And I’m also a really big fan of single-tasking, too!
Anyway, love that you shared some personal examples (not that I’m happy they happened to you – I’m not). I just get this feeling that what you’ve shared comes from personal experience on your part…and that makes this all that much more meaningful.
Have a SUPER weekend!!
Lance, I have more than one accident from hurry – and is it ever at all worth it. My husband noted how carefully I left out any reference to driving (he is always on my case). Personal experience is the way I write my message and my favorite way of reading others’ messages too. As always, happy that you found it so useful. Great weekend back at you, Lance! Thanks for dropping by and sharing those thoughts!
Hi Lance (funny commenting to you here instead of the jungle of life),
Thank you for your comment above. I love how you are so supportive, personal and an advocate for using personal experience. It made me think of how I could be better. You are a teacher and I appreciate it…
And Farnoosh, Ditto…
Still wishing you fun (despite the bumps and drops),
Jim
Hi Jim,
!
For what it’s worth, I think you were very supportive and just throwing a friendly punch into the mix….Bumps and drops are all part of life, but I just gotta slow down a bit
Thanks for your double comments. I love how the conversation starts to flow….
Hi Farnoosh.
When I go fast I miss a bunch of stuff. When I drive past an area, I barely notice anything or remember much detail. When I walk past the same area, I see people’s flowers and vehicles and garages and interesting areas of the sidewalk and so on. We can miss these things, or we can actually see them.
About getting hurt, I sure get hurt at times. It’s always for rushing for nothing. It reminds me of how one police officer said people always are speeding on the road to get to nowhere(basically nowhere relevant enough to make the speeding valid).
At times, I try to do something quickly, and then bam, me and a wall have a meeting, and then I end up having lost time and have a small bruise of some sort.
The good thing is that lately I haven’t gotten hurt this way. Bruises from during basketball continue though“
Armen, I see your poetic prose is flowing today. Love the comparisons between slow and fast, most of all “rushing for nothing” – My husband wanted me to mention my driving here and I left it out on purpose. I could so take my time with that and after the policeman’s quote, you are on:I am going to be one responsible driver!
Farnoosh,
First what a beautiful photo. Stunning!
I’ve learned to slow down the hard way. After one too many stupid accidents I got it. About 10 years ago after a close call in the car I made a commitment to never run yellow lights at the last minute. And today I never do.
It’s that thing where we get hit until we get it and our hits get bigger and bigger until we do.
I just get occasional bumps now and then. I want easy lessons! Happy holiday weekend!
Tess, thank you – my hubby took the photo and I did the editing. I am mad about photography – Do you think I have an eye for becoming a photographer in the next phase of my life?
Oh the car accidents are the worst – and a close call is a God-send so I am proud of you for taking heed and making a promise to yourself. As you saw from what I responded to Armen, I am going to do the same. Easy lessons indeed but important ones. Great holiday weekend back at you and thank you for sharing your thoughts here.
We all get kind of clumsy when we are in the stress of the airport security check. I assure you that you are not alone in that regard!!!! I’m sure there’s a huge pile of all the things people forget to take along with them afterward due this sense of rush in the moment.
It seems to me that you don’t rush through your yoga poses so if you could apply that same mindfulness from yoga throughout the day, you would have this nailed easily.
I find the practice of mindfulness meditation a terrific way to hone one’s ability to stay present in the moment. One of the greatest gifts of meditation is not simply quieting the mind while sitting for a few minutes a day on a cushion, but integrating mindfulness and awareness throughout the day. Through formal practice on the cushion, mindfulness starts to slowly penetrate the day. Meditation naturally helps us to slow down. So there’s my cheerleading for the benefits of meditation.:)
Sandra, I could not agree with you more – and yet all the yoga and meditation I have done over the years (not to mention quitting coffee) hasn’t calmed down that rush-rush energy I have at my core but I have improved dramatically – now I just have to fine-tune it. I sometimes imagine where I would be if I never did any yoga or meditation. Your words here are so beautiful that I will work hard to remember them in addition to my self-reminders here in the post. Thank you so much.
Lovely post Farnoosh – though I did gasp when you dropped your MacBook Pro! But worse was your falling down the stairs. That’s awful. I do hope you follow the rules you’ve set for yourself!
Gosh me too…..I am still wondering if there is some internal damage but she seems to be chugging along just fine, thank goodness! Falling down the stairs was the big scare too. I am going to follow the rules, I promise, I do!! Thank you for the caring thoughts, whisperinggums.
Make sure you do – and remember, we are all here cheerleading for you. Oh, and my MacBook Pro tells me yours was just a little shaken up inside but knows you really care and is OK now!
The best news all day. I do believe Coco concurs.Thank you much for making me smile on more than one account…..!!
And one last comment on this post. Do you know that old Simon and Garfunkel 59th Bridge Street (Feelin’ groovy) song? It starts:
“Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.”
The last lines are:
“Life I love you
All is groovy”
It’s about taking time to enjoy life, watch the flowers grow etc. Great advice really – and can fit into our more task-driven world if we think about it.
Absolutely lovely, whisperinggums, and I love adding the song melodies into the message…..I am afraid I don’t know these lyrics but it’s very well possible I’ve heard the song – I am going to find out though. You are so much fun! Thank you!
You are very right here! Besides, very useful tips, thanks Farnoosh!
Roman, thank you – Do you rush around like me too?
!
Dear Farnoosh, thank you for your post! It was brilliant (as always) and very true! I have been clumsy in so many occasions myself!!! and funny things have also happened to me as well! It is so true that by slowing down and thinking you can always avoid so many unnecessary incidents in life…..
but sometimes it seems that you don’t have time to stop and think, I try to make time even for a second! When in a hurry, I even close my eyes for a few seconds and take several deep breaths and then start my work again! Seems to work for me and I even become faster without anything happen!
Dear Leila, I am so happy you enjoyed it. Clumsiness is not part of our personality, worry not. I truly believe it. You are way ahead of me in practicing deep long breaths and focusing even for a few seconds. The wisdom of the sages and all we have to do is put it into our daily practice. I think you are the one with brilliant content here, Leila! So nice of you to share your thoughts!
Farnoosh: Great article and reminder that sometimes we need to slow down and focus on what is currently in front of us. I know that this is definitely my issue as well sometimes. I convince myself that I am multi-tasking as I stand in line at the grocery store and mentally go through my to-do list. Or, I think I am being way productive when I am driving because I am mentally solving problems. The reality is that I am not paying attention to what is currently in front of me and it causes me to feel overwhelmed and definitely not focused enough on what I am doing…which is always when things go wrong. Thanks for the great post and the reminder.
Hi Sibyl, I do all of those things – I think we all do – and sometimes, the irony is we miss what’s right in front of us. Why is it so hard to slow down? You hit on something else I didn’t realize til now: When I do do those things, I do feel overwhelmed too because I am thinking about them but not able to immediately act on them. Best to single-task most of them
! You are of course most welcome and I am so glad you enjoyed the post.
Hi Farnoosh, I can relate to this post so much. Many times during the day, I am so much in a hurry that I forget where all my important items are like my glasses or my hat (I wear a hat when I’m typing a lot). Then when I slow down and actually think, these items are usually in obvious places like next to my bed or on the nearby table. But I don’t see things things when I am in a rush. My mind is some place else. Thanks for reminding us that we need to slow down and think before we act!
On a side note, I owned a BlackBerry phone also. It was a pretty cool phone.
Hulbert, you wear a hat when you type a lot? Why?
I find it cute and eccentric of course…..And Blackberry was great while it lasted. I switched to the iPhone but loved that BB when I had it. Things ARE usually where we put them and slowing down is really important. So glad the post message resonated with you.
Hi Farnoosh,
I seem to have these lapses just when I think I’ve got it ALL figured out. One minute I’ll be floating around like an enlightened being and the next thing I know I’m cussing like a sailor because I can’t find my reading glasses.
The Ultimate Insanity of Humanity is placing one’s attention on what one does NOT want, and then wailing out “Why me?” when it shows up. On some level we attract these lapses so the Ego can get a grip back on us. The Ego is always lurking… if we cut off one arm of the Ego it grows back two. I find the best way to get back on track is to address the Ego by saying, “Oh, there you are. That’s enough of that.”
Rob, too funny, too funny – I think laughing at ourselves is the best part of self-awareness
! And the dialogue with the Ego is unique. You attack serious topics with such humor and authenticity! Thank you for the smiles and for the deeper thoughts below the surface. Human beings are truly remarkable (in good and strange ways 
)!
p.s.: Thank you so much for the Retweet on the post!
Thank you for that Farnoosh. We all need those little reminders now and again. We also need to be reminded, (or in some cases convinced?) that we are capable of change. Mindfulness is key.
I’ve also made an effort to slow down. Especially when I’m under pressure at work. Of course, when I slow down, mistakes and problems occur with less frequency, and solutions are easier to find. It’s definitely the way to go!
Dear Jenny Ann, no need to thank me. Mindfulness is one of my favorite phrases now that it has meaning beyond the esoteric sense it initially had for me. And exactly as you also say, the irony of it all: when we slow down, we make less mistakes and we get ahead! Thank you for taking the time to comment here.
Thanks for the helpful tips Farnoosh. Thinking before we take action is so important, otherwise we could do things that we will regret later
Dia, you are welcome. Good quick summary for sure. I couldn’t have said it better.
Hi..It s beautiful how u make thoughtful posts out of worthless(for many) ordinary daily experiences…
Thank you Neo…..I hope you don’t find the experiences worthless anymore – we learn from everything or else the bad stuff that happens just happens in vain!
In this fast phase generation we are living, every task seems to require haste. Oftentimes I’m not aware of my carelessness. I would often cross the street and not paying attention to the fast moving cars while I think of task I need to accomplish. Many times I have put my life in danger with this attitude.
I do want to slow things down but I need a reason. Upon deep contemplation I studied the importance of the task that’s eating my attention and I found out that it was not THAT important at all to put myself in jeopardy. Now I always reminded myself of the important things in life. I always think of my precious family and the gift of life which is the most important thing I should preserve in this existence.
Hi Walter, I enjoyed reading your mental musing in response to the post. And a bit surprised that you would haste to the point of risking your safety and your life! I usually do not *want* to slow down, either so I can’t agree more with the assessment you have come up with. Wonderful to see you here. Thank you for taking the time to share!
One time I was standing over the toilet peeing and skip ahead a few seconds to see my blackberry fall out of my pocket and headed toward the inside of a nasty toilet bowl. I had reflexes like a cat though and caught it with my left hand. I have been careful since.
Hmmm, Brandon! Thank you for sharing way too much information but I felt sorry for your blackberry situation so I will let it go
! Being careful is a good outcome!!!!!
This was entertaining and very insightful. I found in my own personal experience with multi-tasking, that trying to juggle when you can’t catch is a really bad idea. I am naturally a little clumsy so doing one thing at a time is enough of a challenge. My father often told me when I was learning how to drive that it is better to get there late and alive than never to get there at all. One of these days I will listen to him.
Thanks Faroosh for sharing your story. I know it will help me in my immediate future.
Hi Frank, you are too funny – on the single task being challenging enough – i bet it’s because you focus and give it your all! Doing something and doing it well are not the same either and slowing down can so help us with the latter. Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your wonderful thoughts! And you are most welcome! Glad you enjoyed the post.
{ 3 trackbacks }