The GOOD (and ReadyMade) Guide to Slowing Down originally appeared in GOOD Issue 18: The Slow Issue. Use the table of contents below to navigate through the guide. You can read more from The Slow Issue here.
We are taught that we’ll be judged by what we achieve, but what does it mean to actually achieve?
The word comes from the Old French achever, “to finish,” and before that, from a Latin phrase meaning “to come to a head.” Surely, though, as the cliché goes, life’s pleasure lies in the journey, not in the destination. And who looks forward to being finished, in the word’s most final sense? Because our days, hours, and minutes are numbered, we’ve put together a guide to help you slow your roll.Consider something drastic: Go on that vacation to Europe or, even better, move there. If the Europeans understand one thing, it’s how to take a vacation. If that’s not for you, take a sabbatical to hike the Pacific Crest Trail or study tango in Buenos Aires. If you can swing it, set up a four-day workweek. Yes, working fewer days could mean earning less, but you’ll find it’s still a terrific deal if you honestly calculate the value of the time you’d spend enjoying your own projects-or just doing nothing. After all, to achieve nothing is an achievement in itself.Besides life-changing decisions, there are countless little changes you can make to slow down your life. To help us help you, we got the folks at ReadyMade to pitch in, because they know better than any of us that making stuff is all about slowing down. Whether cooking, completing a home makeover, or building a backyard swimming pool, creating anything takes time. So what better way to slow down during the winter months than by taking on a project or two?Slow Your Roll:1. Eliminate Something2. Step Away from the Smartphone3. Build an Indoor Stoop4. Multitasking Too Much of Ourselves5. Take Time to Still Your Mind6. Interview: The Handmade Toaster7. Build a Backyard Dumpster Pool8. Make Out-of-the-Ordinary Pancakes9. Watched Pots: Meals for the Back Burner10. How to Cultivate Conscious Laziness11. Interview: The Handmade Radio12. Spruce Up Your Home (At Least Once a Year)13. Interview: The Handmade Tree Chair14. Slowpokes Hall of Fame15. Watch Your Garden Grow16. Make Yourself a Place to Escape17. Read a BookOur Good Guide to Slowing Down was a unique collaboration with our friends at ReadyMade magazine. Check out their good work at ReadyMade.com, and follow them on Twitter at @ReadyMadeTweets.
