What if getting faster is making you worse?
We’ve confused speed with competence. Rush-hour deadlines, same-day deliveries, instant replies—we chase velocity like it’s a virtue. But speed without intention is a race to the bottom.
Here’s the truth: Quick work isn’t impressive if it’s not worth doing.
The Seduction of “Fast”
A barista skims the milk to save 20 seconds. The latte looks right but tastes flat.
A writer publishes daily blogs to “stay relevant.” Readers stop opening them.
A contractor cuts corners to finish a remodel early. The client posts a one-star review.
Speed feels productive. But when speed trades quality for haste, it’s a tax, not a triumph.
The Three Costs of Rushing
- The Attention Tax
Hurried work skips steps. A developer deploys code without testing it. A teacher races through lessons without checking for understanding.
Fixing errors later takes twice as long as doing it right the first time. - The Trust Tax
Clients don’t remember how fast you were. They remember how often you let them down.
A landscaper who mows lawns in half the time but misses edges? That’s the last time they’ll hire you. - The Legacy Tax
A rushed mural peels. A slapdash book collects dust. A half-baked product gets returned.
Speed without care leaves no mark.
The Slow Work Paradox
In 2018, a woodworking studio doubled their prices—and tripled their waitlist. Why? They stopped taking bulk orders. Instead, they made one chair a week. Each one signed, dated, and built to last centuries.
Slow work isn’t lazy. It’s deliberate.
When you focus on how instead of how fast, you create things people want to keep.
The Myth of “They Won’t Notice”
A chef thinks, “Who cares if I use frozen fries instead of fresh?”
A designer thinks, “The client won’t see the font mismatch.”
A manager thinks, “No one reads the meeting notes anyway.”
But people notice. They always do.
Your audience isn’t oblivious. They’re overwhelmed. The only way to stand out is to care more than the competition.
How to Push Back (Without Losing Clients)
1. Redefine “Urgent.”
When someone says, “I need this tomorrow,” ask:
- “What happens if we take an extra day?”
- “Which parts are most important to get right?”
Most deadlines are arbitrary. Reset them.
2. Offer a Choice
“I can send a draft tonight with potential gaps, or a polished version Thursday. Which helps more?”
Clients often pick quality when given the option.
3. Charge for Speed
If rushing is unavoidable, price it accordingly.
A graphic designer charges 50% extra for 24-hour turnarounds. Fewer requests. Better margins.
The Art of Strategic Slowness
A pottery instructor once told me, “If your hands move faster than your mind, you’ll make mud, not art.”
Tactics for intentional pacing:
- Batch the small stuff: Check email twice a day, not 20 times.
- Protect deep time: Block three-hour windows for focused work. No calls. No meetings.
- Build buffers: Pad timelines by 10%. The extra time isn’t for you—it’s for revisions, rest, or surprises.
The Stories We’ve Been Sold
We’re told overnight success is possible. But “overnight” is a lie.
- James Dyson: 15 years and 5,126 prototypes.
- J.K. Rowling: 12 rejections before Harry Potter.
- Spanx: 2 years of door-to-door sales before a breakthrough.
Speed matters in sprints. Quality wins marathons.
The Silent Rise of “Good Enough”
Fast culture normalizes mediocrity.
- Restaurants serve microwaved meals.
- Brands churn out disposable products.
- Content farms regurgitate clickbait.
“Good enough” is contagious. Resist it.
How to Start (Today)
- Audit one task you rush through
Is it a report? A meal? A client call? Do it again, slowly. Compare the results. - Find your “non-negotiable”
Pick one standard you’ll never compromise. A baker: “No day-old bread.” A consultant: “No copy-pasted proposals.” Protect it fiercely. - Practice saying, “Let me think about that.”
Replace knee-jerk “yeses” with pauses. Most speed traps vanish with 10 minutes of reflection.
The Takeaway
Speed isn’t the enemy. Sacrificing quality for speed is.
Great work isn’t about being first. It’s about being unforgettable.
Slow down. Do it right. Watch them wait.
P.S. The opposite of reading this post? Rereading it slowly. Then choosing one thing to stop rushing. Start there.