We can get it in our heads that if we’re not moving forward, fast and furious, then we will be left behind.
This is one of the self-limiting beliefs I had for many years. The notion that there is some race.
What I’ve come to realize is that we can all move forward, extremely fast, but it comes at a big cost. We rush projects, we rush parenting, we rush our partners. We are so worried about the days ahead that we forget the moment we are in right now.
We can all go fast.
But it’s the ones who can be still that achieve the most happiness.
They gain perspective on the world around them. They ponder decisions. They develop new routines by analyzing current ones. They open their eyes to new possibilities. They think.
This can’t be done when we are moving a mile a minute. It’s impossible.
The only way to speed up is to slow down. Retool the engine. Refine the skills. Be thoughtful about the next course of action.
With that, we can have the opportunity to move at a greater clip while recognizing that it’s important for intermittent stops.
We have to give ourselves this time to pause.
It’s the only way we’ll ever get ahead.