Slow and Steady, and why we hate it.
It’s a waiting game. Unnatural to many of us. We’re a society of nows, where practically anything can be delivered within the hour. We don’t have time for slow and steady. And definitely hate those that do.
In B.J. Novak’s book “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories” there’s a rendition of the famous race between the tortoise and the hare. You’ve all heard the story.
Well, what I love about Novak’s version is the inclusion of the hare’s aftermath. If you haven’t read it, he basically suffers an existential life crisis, quite hilariously. And if you relate to the hare as I do, then you might be wondering why everyone keeps pushing the “slow and steady” method.
The answer is pretty easy.
I hate to point the finger, but you and I, and the hare, all lack these 3 vital things:
PATIENCE
I could explain the importance of patience but you’ve heard about it since you were five. And yet still stand uncomfortably in long lines. So, what you might actually need is a strategy to practice it. (I highly recommend this article on improving patience. — My favorite technique is MAKING MYSELF WAIT.)
HUMILITY
The hare wasn’t humble, not even a fraction. And I don’t mean the humility we all hear of where you’re suppose to dim your shine. DON’T DIM YOUR SHINE. Instead read this article which better defines what humility is and how you can cultivate it.
I truly believe one of the biggest reasons we don’t practice humility enough is because it feels like we have to fake it. But that isn’t true!
REALITY CHECK
Now before you think I’m shining the mirror on you, remember now, I don’t consider myself a tortoise. I’m definitely a hare. I’m on the go. I multitask. I believe in my talents, sometimes a bit too much. I feel I have it in the bag, not because I’m naturally blessed but because I work SO DARN HARD.
But sometimes I need, as I’m sure we all do, someone to smack me upside the head and bring me back down to reality.
“I had someone tell me I fell off, ooh I needed that” — Drake, “Headlines”
At first I’m sour from the knock but the people I trust are seeing something I’m not. I might be getting complacent, or on the opposite token, I might just be full of myself — taking naps and being unproductive, kind of like that hare.
Which brings me to why you’ve probably read this far — slow and steady, and why we hate it. Well, think about what that fable implies:
- That those with talent can lose.
- That anyone with a steady work ethic can outshine the talented.
- That sometimes we lose sight of where we come from (the starting line).
- That our heads get so big, we forget how valuable learning is (continuing to better ourselves and our skills).
And it isn’t easy slowing down. Trust me I know. If you’re from a metropolitan center like I am, slowing down is practically blasphemous.
And I get it. You’re talking to a lifelong time cruncher.
But do you remember the hare in Novak’s story, and his aftermath? I don’t know about you but I don’t have the time to have an existential life crisis, nor train for however long just to get back to where I used to be. I can’t go backwards.
Because that’s the main issue with slow and steady. It feels like there’s no progress when we move slower. We don’t have time for it. We have goals, tasks, networking, dinner, etc. due.
But maybe there’s something to learn from the tortoise…
That success is bred from steps and not from finish lines. That if we slow down enough (a teeny bit for those hardcore hares) we might just see far ahead of the race, and in the case of the hare we might just prevent a loss.
Leave a comment and tell me what you think —
Do you know anyone you admire who runs at a different speed than you? How does that pace work for them?
Can you think of any other methods to practice humility and patience?
