“Decelerophobia – the fear of slowing down.”
Hey Rollers,
High performers and growth-focused people tend to struggle with one thing more than most:
Switching off.
Even when the calendar says it’s time.
Even when the body is tired.
And even when it looks like everyone else has already done it — although, if we’re honest, many people are just acting the part while their minds are still very much “on.”
It’s a bit like those birthday candles you blow out… and then they light up again.
You pause for a moment, but the engine keeps restarting.
Another idea, another obligation, another “I should probably…”
I’ve felt that tension all week and I’m feeling it right now on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
My original intention was not to skip a Sunday Just Thinking newsletter. I mean never.
Consistency matters to me. Showing up matters to me.
(There’s a story for another day, but I didn’t miss a single day of school in 18 years… this pattern runs deep.)
The uncomfortable truth for me is that stopping doesn’t automatically feel like rest.
It feels a lot like falling behind and letting myself down.
And so, in the spirit of choosing the challenge before it chooses you, I’m practising something that doesn’t come naturally to me at all — stopping on purpose.
I’m trying to see it as getting my rest reps in, part of the same growth process I’m usually so disciplined about, just a different muscle group.
It’s damn hard, but this is me giving myself permission to hit the off switch for the remainder of the year.
My next bit of Just Thinking will be done on the first Sunday of 2026.
Until then, thank you for reading, reflecting, and rolling with me this year.
See you in 2026.
Keep rolling.
Justin 👊
Take Action in 3 Minutes:
No prizes for guessing this week’s action…
Set a timer for 3 minutes.
Sit somewhere comfortable.
No phone.
No journaling.
No planning.
👉 For the first minute, just notice what your body wants to do when it’s allowed to stop.
(Restlessness counts.)
👉 For the second minute, take a few slow breaths and remind yourself:
“Nothing needs to be solved right now.”
👉 For the final minute, decide one small way you’ll protect rest this week.
That’s it.
No insights required.
No output expected.
Just a small rep of switching off, on purpose.