Pace Yourself!

As I was driving the 4+ hours from Decorah, IA to Milwaukee, WI yesterday, I decided embark on a little experiment. I had brought a granola bar from Todd's snack stash for my mid-morning snack. In the spirit of enjoying everything down to its essence, I challenged myself to make the granola bar last for 20 minutes. I took a small bite, chewed until there was nothing more to chew, waited for a minute, took another small bite, carefully chewed, and so on. I have never experienced a granola bar this way before. It was as if I became intimately familiar with each little oat and nut as I slowly crushed them into swalloable fuel.

In fact, it was so much fun that I tried it a couple of hours later when Rebecka and I decided to share a banana to hold us over until we got home and could eat lunch. Yep - I made half of a banana last for 20 minutes. I wonder if a banana has ever been savored in this manner (at least in the US).

This little food experiment made me think about how the concept of "pace yourself" really is always a good idea. Think about it:

• Pace yourself at work: Nobody wins when good employees burn out.
• Pace yourself when you run: You don't want to have to quit the race before you reach the finish line.
• Pace yourself when you eat: You will enjoy your food more, you will know when you've had enough, and your stomach and intestines will thank you.
• Pace yourself in life: Take a day off every week, don't try to do everything at once, focus on one goal at a time per Leo's advice.
• Pace yourself when you brush your teeth: Three minute rule!

I spent 20 minutes eating dinner tonight - and enjoyed every bite.