Why You Might Need to Slow Down to Succeed

Unsplash: Brooklyn Morgan

Can you imagine a belly flop on grass? Well, that is exactly what happened to me yesterday.

I was racing my 9 year old, five-foot-two, 80 lbs daughter up and down a hill. On the way down the incline, I decided to use my weight and speed in my favor (I’ve gotta win) so, I didn’t throttle my pace.

Next thing you know, I was on the ground.

I didn’t slip, I didn’t lose my footing, I was just down.

It was a hard fall that was absorbed by my face, my ribs, and my hips. I felt like I had bruised my internal organs.

My daughter came running over to check to see if I was OK. She told me that she had read that a person should take three deep breaths before they try to move.

I did my three breaths with her, but then shoved off her hand when she went to help me to stand. Standing would not be on the agenda for a few more minutes.

Why I am I telling you this story? Well, one because it was hilarious and two because I think it relates to how many of us go into building something new.

We know our goals, we know our ideas and we try to run full speed ahead to “win.”

But, there are issues that we choose to ignore as we take off at breakneck pace. We want to implement our plans ASAP, but we can fail to look at the big picture.

If we look back at the story I just shared, I would have likely still beat my daughter in the race. I could had steadied myself on the steepest decline, even if it meant giving her a bit of a lead, and then used my powerful dancer calves to pull through on the flatter surface.

Sometimes, we have to slow down to get ahead. There’s no need for a full stop, but rather a steady examining of our thoughts, actions, and methods as we continue to run our race.

It is too easy to get distracted by focusing on whether or not a competitor or colleague might cross the finish line before you. There is no need to do this; the great news is that we each have our own race to run. Your idea or your plans will come to fruition in their time if you’re willing to be steady in the tough parts.

As I build my second major income source, I feel a real call to calm. However, not long ago I almost metaphorically bellyflopped. What started as pricing research, soon became comparison, and threatened to develop into feelings of inferiority with a need to add on everything that everyone else was doing. I know better than to allow negativity to drive me. I recognize that there are billions of people in the world. The amount of people that I need to connect with in order to reach my goals is tiny in comparison! There are more than enough customers for everyone.

The same is true for you.

Build up the hill, steady down, and when in the clutch on your best footing, exert full power.

I will do my best in my lane and when I see my best opportunity for expansion, I will do more.

You will “win” not by surpassing your competitor, but by recognizing that careers and business ideas are a marathon, not a sprint. We have to adapt, change pace, reassess, and as my daughter recommended, take deep breaths.

We have to implement clear strategy from start to finish.

Examine your own motives today. Is there a force, person, colleague that you’re racing against? Are you pushing expansion when you should remain on course? Talk about in the comments.

I’m a former dance industry professional involved in web design, blogging, and social media for artists and small businesses. I’m fueled by a passion to communicate great ideas, online.

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