When you have a full plate, it might seem counterintuitive to slow down to achieve faster results. It seems everyone is hustling and striving to accomplish more in less time. All kinds of personal coaches and social media influencers embrace the hustle lifestyle, but successful leaders and entrepreneurs know that slowing down is the difference between thriving and burning out.

Andrew Thomas, an entrepreneur, inventor and adviser, says slowing down can help you accelerate your success, enjoy a higher sense of fulfillment and create the kind of life you want. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we highlight Thomas' four reasons to slow down.

1. You'll possess greater clarity. There's no point to hustling if you're moving in the wrong direction. Thomas compares it to running on a treadmill. You might be working hard but you're not going anywhere. When you slow down, you allow time for clarity. Take an hour every week to check in with yourself. Reflect on your intentions and observe the challenges and opportunities in front of you. Consider what's working and what isn't and decide where you can focus your energy in the week ahead.

2. You can't hustle if you're dead. Hustling is exhausting. The average person spends nearly an hour on Instagram every day. Oprah has the same amount of time in a day and she manages to meditate. If you want to succeed and build your best life, you should be willing to take time to honor what your mind, body and spirit need to stay healthy. When you have 24 hours every day, you have no excuse not to fit in something enriching, whether that's cooking a healthy meal, exercising, journaling or meditating.

3. You'll harness the power of emotion. Thomas encourages you to use your emotions a guide. Successful people feel and manage their emotions and don't let them trigger bad behaviors or actions. You may have heard the mantra: If you can name it, you can tame it. When you slow down, you can feel the emotions you're experiencing and describe them. This allows you to process them and respond in a healthy way.

4. You'll make better decisions. Hustling doesn't matter if you make a decision that unravels all the work you invested. Thomas likens the mind to a car engine, saying if you always have your pedal to the floor, the engine will redline, overheat and fail. When you slow down and make time for rest, you lower your baseline for mental stress. When your mind isn't racing, you can absorb the information around you, assess the circumstances and make smarter decisions. A big part of success is making good decisions, so it's important to take time to slow down.

In a culture that celebrates the hustle mindset, pause and consider the benefits of bringing more slowness into your life. See how it goes and then try more. Slowing down serves you well in all areas of life and sets you up for great success.

Source: Andrew Thomas is an entrepreneur, inventor and adviser. He is a founder of SkyBell Video Doorbell and leads business development and product strategy efforts. Thomas gives back to the startup community as a writer, speaker and mentor.