Why you should consider to slow down
As I look back on my career from my early days as a mechanical engineer in the space industry to my current leadership role in the energy sector, I realize that I always pushed myself to the path of success. But his has come at a significant personal cost. From the age of 25, I thrived on the fast-paced life of travelling across the 5 continents, managing multi-millions projects, and navigating the pressures of a male-dominated industry.
But as time went on, I began to sense something was missing, something important that I have overlooked in my pursuit of success. The demands of what I believe a successful lifestyle, began to take a toll on my health, my mind, and ultimately, my ability to lead effectively. I was putting myself and my health at risk.
The wake-up call
It wasn’t one single moment that triggered this realization, but rather a series of subtle shifts in my life. Last year was a turning point. A series of injuries in the same year —ranging from a twisted ankle, a shoulder tendonitis, to broken ribs, during snowboarding sessions, a head trauma from a bicycle fall after a business trip, and leg injury from a kitesurfing session—forced me to confront the reality I had been avoiding. I was no longer 20 – as my dear friends keep on telling me – and pushing myself too hard. But as I reflected, I started to see a pattern. I come to understand these physical accidents were the result of a mind overwhelmed by constant thinking, planning, and worrying. My mind was too occupied, too distracted, too overloaded, and always elsewhere, loosing focus and finally endangering myself.
These experiences, somewhat not yet extreme, made me pause and served as a wake-up call. They were the physical manifestations of a mind too busy to focus on the present moment. I was always on the move, both physically and mentally, juggling countless responsibilities at work and at home, on top of my frequent business travels. Even during vacation, my mind was never truly at rest. The accumulation of stress and the constant pressure to perform began to manifest in ways I could no longer ignore. It was time to reconsider me, just me.
It was during moments of forced reflection of an entire month, after a hysterectomy that I finally decided due to my Lynch syndrome, that I began to understand the importance of slowing down, of giving my mind the space it needed to breathe, and of being kinder to myself.
The Quiet Realization
In the midst of these challenges, I began to work with a coach who helped me see things from a different perspective. I realized that I was filling my days with activities to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings in my professional and personal life. The constant need to prove myself—to meet the high standards I had set—was leading me to neglect my well-being. It took a series of painful accidents and a month-long recovery from surgery to finally understand that I needed to make a change.
This period of reflection led me to make changes in my life and I decided to reduce my working hours and explore new avenues that would impact myself positively, having time for me and my family. This has created new opportunities and from meeting new people, entrepreneurs, I embarked on new ventures that brought me to a completely different environment.
I decided to create a small business and got me very excited to start from scratch. I opened an ecofriendly toys shop that reconnected me to my childhood and to a hidden part of myself: my love for creativity and entrepreneurship.
With my dear friend and now business partner, Xavier, the young sister of La Maison du Bois is born in Lege-Cap-Ferret, in the South West of France.
But more importantly, I started to appreciate the joy of simple things like setting up the shop, selecting products, interacting with clients and enjoying what I have created. This has unexpectedly improved my overall sense of fulfillment, whether it was at my workplace as an employee, and at home with my family and husband. Focusing on a passion has opened my mind to more appreciation of life in general, and of course, during my leisure time, I enjoyed even more my favorite activities like running, kitesurfing.
By setting up a new boutique “La Maison du Bois” I also found a satisfaction in creating a new job for my store manager, who started this journey with me. This has helped me to focus on what I regard as important for myself, and how I could impact others differently. This sense of fulfillment of starting a totally new experience opened my eyes to new possibilities.
I realized that I am the only barrier to where I wish to go and where I want to be. I am more aligned with who I am, and accepted it.
It is from that first entrepreneurial experience, that planted the seed in my mind and when Ifwekite project has emerged. I wish to help other leaders like me, to find fulfillment in what they do and recharge batteries through unconventional immersions. Kitesurfing, yoga, meditation with other like minded tribe, I’m super excited about this idea to get all recharged with energy after our immersions.
An Invitation to Reflect
As executives and leaders of our own lives, we often find ourselves trapped in a cycle of overachievement, pursuit of success, constantly pushing very hard, and sometimes at the expense of our well-being. I also reflected on my behavior with my loved ones. As I was not well, and neglected myself, I could not give this love properly back to my family either, my children and husband. When our wellness is impacted, we often undermine the impact on our environment.
But what if we could take a step back and pause for a moment? What if we could clear our mind, reduce our stress, and regain the focus and energy that made you successful in the first place?
This is where my journey has led me, and it’s a path I believe many of us could benefit from exploring together. I’m not any close to a perfectly balanced life, and still searching for how I wish to impact my sphere of influence. However, through this path, I wish to share my experiences hoping that they might resonate with you. If you’ve ever felt the weight of constant pressure, the pull of too many responsibilities, or the need for a moment of true respite, perhaps this is the time to slow down and reflect.
Creating a New Path
It took me a series of painful wake-up calls to realize the importance of slowing down my pace, and try to find my purpose. But you don’t have to wait until it’s too late. I had a recent car accident for the first time over 2 decades, and even if it was only material damages, it could have been a lot worse… before it’s too late, it may be time to pause and reflect.
My way to do so is….kitesurfing which is one of my biggest passion. Personally, this activity offers me a unique form of meditation. It’s a way to connect with mother nature: feel the waves, the Seabreeze on my face, the sun shining all over my body. It’s pure joy and happiness.
It helped me clear my mind in a simple way and to reconnect with the present moment. It’s a time when I’m not thinking about work or the endless to-do lists. It’s a reminder that life is not just about what we achieve, but also about how we experience it.
I’d like to invite you to join me on my journey If We Kite, this could be both a haven of peace and adventure, not as an escape, but as an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, to create the mental space you may not even realize you need.
It would be a place where we would discover exhilarating and mindfulness activities like kitesurfing, yoga, meditation but also about finding that balance, that clarity, and that sense of renewal that can often get lost in the day-to-day craziness.
Let’s reflect together
If any of this resonates with you, if you’ve ever felt the need to step back and re-evaluate where you’re headed, then perhaps this journey is something we can explore together. Let’s take the time to reflect, to share our experiences, and to discover what truly matters to us. Let’s find the path to slowing down and learn to find a new rhythm that aligns with who we are and where we want to go.
Don’t let the pressure of worklife lead to accidents —physical or mental (burnout) — when this could be avoided with a clearer mind. Instead, take this opportunity to invest in yourself, to pause, to reflect, and to return to your life with renewed energy and focus: full battery recharged!
Life is short, and the demands of leadership are high. By taking the time to slow down, to create mental space, and be kind to ourselves, we’ll not only become a better leader but a healthier and happier person, impatient positively our sphere of influence.
Join me on IfWeKite journey and discover the power of freeing your mind. Let’s create a new path together—one that leads to a balanced, fulfilling life where you can truly thrive.
I’m looking forward to hear about you and your journey in the comment section below. Let’s see where this path of reflection and renewal might lead us—together.
Take the first step toward reclaiming your life.
Neary,
Corporate leader, IKO instructor and Wellness shaper
