The idea is paradoxical, especially in a driven US culture. We all learned in math class when two vehicles are traveling towards the same goal at different speeds, the one going fastest gets there first. This seems to be the parable of our lives as each of us strive to push as hard as we can. So how can slowing down get us to our destination faster?
Part of the answer comes from Aesop in the fable of the tortoise and the hair. The hair naturally ran much faster, but got tired and had to rest. It was the turtle’s slow and steady pace that won the race. We see examples of this in the research of pushing ourselves too hard. In a recent HBR article, Carmichael showed that working longer hours resulted in a myriad of health problems including depression, drinking, impaired memory, heart disease. These health issues translate into higher turnover, absenteeism, and increased insurance costs, while lowering productivity. Not only that, as we get exhausted, we process information slower, and focus on the wrong information. So as we work harder, we destroy our health, while getting less done on the wrong tasks. It’s a lose/lose all the way around.
The idea that we are less effective when exhausted isn’t difficult to understand. However, in The Practicing Mind, Sterner explores how slowing down and focusing can help whether we are exhausted or not. In the book, Sterner describes a point in his own life, where he was overworked, badly in need of a break, but not able to take one. Instead, one day he made the decision to try and rest as much as possible while he worked, by forcing himself to slow down. He describes how he deliberately moved through each task, forcing himself to relax and focus on the task at hand. After his usual rushed pace, the new pace felt like an eternity, but he was determined to at least try. When he finished the job, he was amazed to find he was done much sooner than normal.
The question of how should not be a difficult one. Most of us have found ourselves rushing through a job, only to get half way through and find we’ve taken the wrong direction, and end up wasting a lot of time in rework. Slowing down and focusing can help us focus on doing the right job, the right way, the first time. This not only reduces waste but can help us feel less stressed along the way. In today’s rushed world, it’s the win/win of getting more done, in less time, and feeling better. That’s a win/win we all could use a little more of.