The Case for Patience

“I need to hurry up so I can move on to the next thing.”

The next thing?

Another task to rush through. Another decision to make quickly. Another item to check off so you can get to the next item to check off.

Rushing is an endless relay race where the baton never stops moving and the finish line keeps moving.

The meeting gets scheduled fast so you can free up that mental space. The email gets answered immediately so it's off your plate. The project gets pushed through so you can start the next project that you'll also push through.

And in the rush, you make mistakes. Small ones that require follow-up emails. Bigger ones that mean redoing work you thought was finished. You schedule the meeting for the wrong time. You miss the detail that mattered. You say yes when you meant to think about it.

Now you’re not just rushing—you’re backtracking. The speed that was supposed to save time costs you more of it.

Slowing down isn't about doing less. It's about seeing more clearly. The right answer that reveals itself when you give it another day. The unnecessary meeting that disappears when you wait to schedule it. The mistake you don't make because you took time to think.

Speed is a mindless habit. Patience is a virtue.