• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K

2010 resolution: Slow down for success

By
Patricia Sellers
Patricia Sellers
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Patricia Sellers
Patricia Sellers
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 4, 2010, 6:38 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions, but a year ago, 15 minutes before 2009, I resolved to friend–a Charlie Rose fan–at a party in D.C.: “I’m going to DVR Charlie Rose every night.”

Three weeks later, I found myself sitting next to the TV interviewer at a dinner in New York. I told Rose about my New Year’s resolution. “So, are you doing it?” he asked.

“Uh, no, I haven’t,” I answered, suddenly realizing that I’d been caught. After the dinner, I went home, set my DVR to “record this series,” and never looked back…except to watch Charlie Rose, recorded, and delete most of the shows as soon as he says “Welcome to the broadcast!” and reveals his guests.

Lesson learned: Instead of resolving to do more this year, I’m aiming to do less. To slow down.

Not to slack off at work, mind you. (Andy Serwer and Fortune colleagues, take note!) This mindset–to fight information overload and to focus–is quite prevalent right now. Among the holiday cards and packages I received at my office–many from people whom I’d never heard of–came my favorite, from Blake Mycoskie. He’s the founder of a little company called TOMS Shoes. For every pair of canvas shoes that TOMS sells–in Nordstrom and Whole Foods and 24 countries around the world–the company gives one pair to a needy child.

Mycoskie (whom you may have seen in an AT&T commercial that spotlights TOMS’ do-goodism) has a good message for 2010: He sent a framed photo of a rusted green sign that reads “Reduzca Velocidad” and a “Dear Friends” letter that explains the words, which mean “Slow Down.”


After a year of hectic travel and corporate expansion, he says in the letter, this sign that he spotted on a dirt road in Patagonia, reminds him “to spend a few minutes every day smelling the roses, seeing the forest through the trees…” He has the photo on his desk. Now, so do I.

So far, I am slowing down. Fighting a cold, I canceled plans to go back to D.C. for a New Year’s Eve party. While I missed my relatives and friends  there, I caught up on rest, reading, and friends in New York. As for friends who say, “You can sleep when you’re dead”–I’m not as close as I used to be.

Over the holidays, I was riveted by the drama of Urban Meyer, the University of Florida football coach who said on a Saturday that he would resign–citing “self-destructive” work habits such as neglecting his family and emailing recruits in church. On Sunday, barely 24 hours later, Meyer retracted and said he would leave coaching temporarily, to deal with health issues and those other matters. Tim Tebow, the Florida quarterback whom Meyer called “my son” in a December Sports Illustrated story, told the
New York Times
: “He has to delegate more and put more responsibilities on other people.”

Can you relate?

Now, I’m back at work, and a Fortune colleague tells me that she’s gone on a “technology diet.” Meaning: She’s denying herself computer and BlackBerry access from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. each day. On sleepless nights, instead of watching The Office on Hulu at 4 a.m., she reads books (on her Kindle, which is allowed) and plays the piano on her Yamaha keyboard. This reformed behavior helps her digest her information overload, she says. “It’s the difference between snacking on information and sitting down to a meal.”

I’m not committing to a “technology diet.” But I am pledging to “Reduzca Velocidad.” Before I went to bed last night, I emailed Arianna Huffington (at whose home in Los Angeles I first met TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie) and asked her: How much sleep do you get on an average night?

“I can’t believe you are asking me this question!” Arianna emailed back, telling me that at midnight she and Cindi Leive, the editor in chief of Glamour, were launching “Sleep Challenge 2010.” You can read about it on the Huffington Post.

Arianna, who is deceptively well-rested given her globe-spanning productivity, resolves to up her sleep to eight hours nightly. I do too. And in the spirit of helping us all, one more resolution: Instead of writing on Postcards every day, I’m going to write only when I have something to say. That is, when the news or my Fortune reporting or random encounters with interesting people merits my sharing with you. Postcards is, at heart, about how prominent people in business and beyond succeed–or fail. Lots to say, but well worth choosing what really matters. Thank you for reading. Now, go do what really matters to you.



About the Author
By Patricia Sellers
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

z
AIdisruption
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
7 minutes ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
8 minutes ago
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
Successphilanthropy
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
By Sydney LakeJuly 3, 2026
9 minutes ago
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
9 minutes ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
9 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
9 minutes ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
14 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
17 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
8 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.