Hi, it's been a while :)
A re-introduction from someone who finally stood still
Hi! It’s been a while :)
The past few weeks were the kind of reset you don’t know you need... it just kinda… happens? Life kept moving, and for once, I didn’t rush to keep pace. I let it go ahead without me and started noticing things I normally rush past.
Some friends fell in love. Others fell out of it. Holidays passed. People made goals. Some kept them. Some didn’t. Me included.
One morning I stood on the beach watching surfers (*see photo above). I didn’t bring my phone, and I wasn’t multitasking (ok except I did bring my camera but that doesn’t count). I just stood there longer than I normally let myself stand anywhere. There’s nothing to optimize about watching someone surf. You can’t help, you can’t speed it up, you can’t improve it by thinking harder. You just watch.
I realized how rarely I let life happen without trying to participate in it.
For a long time I measured my days by what I accomplished in them. But I’ve noticed the days that I remember most are usually the ones where I didn’t.
Which brings me to Slow Down Club.
I originally made this as a counterweight to hustle culture. I suppose I thought slowing down was universal advice? But over the past few months I realized that this space isn’t for people who struggle to try. It’s for people who don’t know how to stop.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know how to execute. You’re disciplined, capable, maybe even an overachiever. Effort isn’t your edge. Restraint is. You don’t need advice on working harder. You need permission to stop pushing when nothing is chasing you.
In case we’ve never met, HI!! I’m Ariana :) You could say I’ve spent most of my life going fast. I started racing triathlons at seven years old and built my identity around discipline. Last year I completed six Ironman races on six continents in under a year and set a world record. And still, it’s easier for me to train for six hours than it is to sit still with a warm drink for ten uninterrupted minutes (apparently I’m still building aerobic capacity for sitting).
Slow Down Club is where I practice the discipline that every high achiever struggles with: the discipline of slowing down. Not doing less, but doing what actually matters with presence.
Inside the club, I share:
what it means to want a lot from life and still feel okay in it
little habits that make space in crowded days
how to stay driven without burning out
real thoughts from someone learning in real time
Think of this less like a newsletter and more like a shared notebook. If you’re new, reply and introduce yourself! Tell me what you’re building, thinking about, or stuck on. I really do read every response.
Welcome to the club, I’m so glad you’re here!
In my world lately:
Listening to: my “weightless” playlist
Watching: the winter Olympics
Doing: a parasite cleanse
Eating: curry turmeric hummus (don’t knock it til you try it)
Drinking: hibiscus watermelon social tonic by NA Beverage Co.
Favorite quote: “Do what you’re meant to do. Build what you’re meant to build. Become who you’re meant to become. Create something so unique, so unmistakably yours, that others never imagined it, but you felt it long before you could explain why. To do that, you have to believe you are the one capable of bringing it into reality.”
Recent purchase: a giant 4×5 whiteboard from Walmart to plan my empire (my little studio cottage strongly disagrees)
