3 Insights from a 5-day digital detox trip to Mallorca

It is already two weeks since Dessie and I arrived from our one-week getaway in Mallorca. In that week, I had some profound realizations. Today I want to share

• what helped me to get them

• what these were and

• what they mean for me and business-wise

I needed some headspace

I remember it so well. The week before, I noticed the inner voice within that said: Christian, you need a break. You think too much. You need some headspace. To be honest with you: Even though I work with a lot of energy and effort to honor my boundaries... When it comes to “overworking” - I sometimes do that.

The last months were marked by strong internal and external forces. Cashflow, too much coffee, and not enough exercise. Not everything was bad though. I improved a lot on hydrating enough. Nutrition and overall fitness levels are much better compared to one year ago too. However I noticed that for the amount of challenges that I encountered, I had to slow down even more.

I read in a post on LinkedIn the other day, why slowing down is meaningful and important. Let me share it with you:

“Slow down to find clarity of purpose. In the rush of our daily routines, slowing down helps us to align our actions with our true goals”

This sums up very well my intention for the time on the island. I wanted to assess my current thoughts, actions, and feelings. All of them. Then, I wanted to look at how they fit with a simplified, and decluttered life. A life, where I focus on my wellbeing and build the Slow Down Club with a sense of ease and joy. Together with a bunch of lovely people. You know who you are :-)

In this one week in Mallorca, I made the assessment. I reflected on it and came up with some conclusions about what that means for the days, weeks, and months to come.

What did I do to get the insights?

I did a digital detox. I slowed down big time. I took a very decelerated approach. I let go of using my laptop. Did not open it at all. My screen time on my phone was on average 30 minutes. I did not listen to podcasts. I brought two books, of which I only read a few pages in one. Often I would look out of the window, or walk around the beautiful backyard of the hotel. The only time when I would use my phone was for navigation. I remember one time when I was sitting next to a huge lavender plant:

I was watching the bees and other insect friends do their work. I could have sat there for much longer.

What were the insights?

1. I realized I’m using my phone way too much. This got much better already. Yet I see huge potential to improve. My long-term goal is a screen time of < 2 hours.

2. I asked myself “Christian, what’s the rush?” The existential fear of death came up. Fear of missing out. Self-inflicted stress. And last but not least: the subtle but true feeling of not being enough. But actually, there is no rush. I make the rush because I am resisting the present moment and want to be somewhere else than I am now.

3. Things take more time than I thought they would. I was fantastic in underestimating that. Somehow hoping for some kind of overnight success. The analogy that comes up is this one: Ask an apple tree to grow faster. It doesn’t care. It has its rhythm. And once the time is ripe, it grows plenty of apples.

4. Sharing other people’s stories and their unique energy is something that excites me. A lot. I wanted to study journalism when I was a kid. Went down a different route, but never lost the interest and curiosity for what makes people tick. I have to follow it!

What do these insights mean for the future?

1. I chose to reduce my screen time on the phone. I downloaded the Opal App. I set the daily limit for most apps to 30 minutes. Set up a blocker for LinkedIn, E-Mail, and Instagram from 10 pm to 10 am the next morning.

2. Being on a trip without using a phone or laptop has shown me, how meaningful it is to simplify, let go, and do fewer things. The great part: I was not bored at all. There is so much to see, sense, feel, and experience ALREADY. I found myself with increased focus and even confidence. After one week of almost not using my phone. The conversations with Dessie were deeper, and I was more present. Slow Down Club is going to support many people. I feel that now more than ever because of this experience.

3. To unleash the storyteller within, I decided to build the Slow Down Club Podcast. Conversations with club members, supporters, and people that inspire me. We talk about their story and how to live a more meaningful life doing fewer things and thus achieving more. For now, the full episodes will be only available to SDC members (more on that later). Snippets will be shared publicly on socials. So far, I recorded 2 episodes. I learned a lot. And I got reminded of many things I already knew. Currently I find a way to do the post-production in an easy way.

4. I need financial resources to keep doing Slow Down Club. Nothing new if you’re building something from scratch, but my runway became very short. It became so short that it was affecting me. I observed that I got more anxious, drank more coffee, and felt more restless. This is not beneficial for myself, and anyone in SDC - this is not serving anyone. I reminded myself that I’m playing the long-term game and am practicing that there is no rush.

That is why:

1. I decided to be open for a job, to take some of the pressure off. Whilst serving with the skills I have and bringing them to good use. So yes, I'm now "The founder looking for a job". It is a weird, but also very calming experience. Ideally, it is a leadership-supporting role. Like a strategic advisor, consultant, founders associate, or Chief of Staff. As well, I can imagine something in partnership management and communication training.

2. I aim to talk to VCs and investors to pitch SDC. For two reasons. First, as an investment case. For the premiere, I’m considering 50-100k. Second, as a VC service. An astonishing number of founders struggle with their mental health. It should be in the VC’s interest that their CEOs are doing well. We can set a win-win up together. I smell it.

3. We are going the slow but steady approach, and enter the next phase of Slow Down Club. I have tested the peer coaching pod format for over a year now. Because of the fantastic success, I have decided to open doors for 14 founding members. I will guide 2 groups of 7 to secure an intimate, deep experience. The duration will be 3 months. Start June ‘24. Rolling Admission. If you’re interested, hit reply to this email for more details.

As you can see, the north star is the club. It is what makes my cells dance. When it comes to the how - and the different stops on the journey - I am much more open now and look at different options.

It took me a while to a) be this honest with myself, b) overcome my ego, and share with you what's present. Today I’m happy that I did. First for myself. There is magic when you face your fear and do the thing. When you then see that nothing bad happened: you feel stronger than you were before.

Also, writing this made me realize again: that even though I’m the founder and I love to talk about myself, this is not about me. The idea of coming together to go slow and simplify our lives is so much bigger than a single individual.

That puts everything in a different perspective.

And it supported me to write this newsletter in this way.

Questions to reflect

When do I get most of my insights?

How does my POV change, if I look at the big picture?

What makes my cells dance?

What’s the rush?

Final thoughts

If you’d like to support me: Who can you connect me with for a role, an investment opportunity, or a VC to have a relaxed chat?

If you want to be amongst the founding members of the Slow Down Club, spread the message and learn more, let me know.

Hit reply to this email.

If you are reading this: I'm so grateful that you chose to be part of the journey. It means a lot. Thank you for being you.

Much love,Christian