Slowing Down to Speed Up
from the founder of careercoaching.ie
Kierkegaard said “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
At this time of year, that idea feels especially relevant. December has a way of inviting reflection whether we like it or not. The pace slows just enough for the noise to drop, and suddenly the questions we’ve been avoiding have room to surface.
What worked this year?
What didn’t?
What am I carrying that no longer fits?
For much of my career, I avoided these questions. Reflection felt indulgent or uncomfortable. Unnecessary. Even risky. Pausing meant I might discover that the path I was on wasn’t quite right and that felt far more uncomfortable than staying busy.
But without reflection, we repeat.
We stay in motion, but not necessarily in the right direction.
In The Messy Middle, I wrote about that in-between space - the phase where the old no longer fits but the new isn’t yet clear. Reflection is often what ushers us into that space. It’s what helps us notice the quiet dissatisfaction before it becomes full-blown burnout. It’s what allows us to see patterns, not just events.
And this is where slowing down becomes an act of courage.
Career reflection isn’t about fixing yourself or drafting a five-year plan. It’s about paying attention. Noticing what energised you this year and what depleted you. Where you felt most like yourself and where you felt like you were performing a version of yourself that no longer feels true.
When we don’t slow down, our careers tend to default to momentum. We take the next role because it’s there. We say yes because it’s expected. We keep climbing ladders without checking whether they’re leaning against the right wall.
Reflection creates choice.
It allows us to move forward with intention rather than urgency. To make decisions from clarity instead of exhaustion. To recognise that progress doesn’t always look like acceleration, sometimes it looks like alignment.
As the year comes to a close, I’m not interested in resolutions. I’m far more interested in questions.
What do I want more of next year?
What am I willing to let go of?
And what might become possible if I gave myself permission to pause?
If you find yourself in the messy middle right now, know this: slowing down doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. Very often, it’s the first step towards moving forward — properly.
Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do for your career is to stop.