‘Sometimes, What is Slow is Actually Fast’

Jackie Robinson, illustrated and painted by Demis Courquet-Lesaulnier
via Wikimedia Commons

What we are taught culturally may not be the best behavior and habit for everyone.

“In the movie ‘42,’ as (professional baseball player and history maker) Jackie Robinson is about to step off the team bus and face reporters, he’s reminded that, just like he likes to see the pitch come slowly toward him, he should see the reporters’ questions come in slowly, too,” explains Derrick Kinney, CEO of Good Money Framework, host of the Good Money podcast and author of, “Good Money Revolution,” a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestseller.

“It’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie because it reminds me that sometimes, what is slow is actually fast.”

That goes against what society usually communicates or does.

“Culture today convinces us that unless we’re moving at break-neck speed, we’re not moving closer toward our goals,” Kinney says. “But sometimes, intentionally allowing ourselves to sit in neutral for a bit can prepare us for our next big breakthrough.”

What society communicates doesn’t work for everyone and each person might not even have interest in that proposed success approach. There’s more than one way.

“The fastest path to success is for us to simply stop running so fast,” Kinney says. “We need to pause long enough to let our activity catch up with the opportunity we're focused on.”

He elaborates.

“A friend once called this the moling principle,” Kinney says. “It’s when you dig, dig, dig and you look up and wonder where you are, just like a mole in the ground. You've been running but not focused on how well you’re staying on course.”

Derrick Kinney

The lesson, he proposes, is a more methodical process.

“Slowing down can actually be the fastest way to reach a goal because it allows us space to observe where we are in relation to our desired goal,” Kinney says. “Once you’ve got the goal squarely in sight again, now it’s time to run fast. But it’s only by slowing down that you're now equipped to run fast again.”

Learning this principle or advisory and trusting it and implementing it when one’s emotions and habits are dictating otherwise can be challenging.

“I find what causes most people not to believe that slow is fast lies in today’s cultural influence,” Kinney asserts. “By scrolling social media, you’ll quickly see the so-called influencers touting that the only way to fast financial freedom is by doing the daily grind, getting up at 4 AM and paying the price by sacrificing time away from family and friends to truly achieve what you want.

“We’re sold a comparison narrative that says if you’re not running fast all the time, you’re edging closer to failure than success.”

The result is more ineffectiveness and ironically, inefficiency and stress.

“Sadly, that produces well-intentioned people who are running fast in a circle,” Kinney says.

That is pointless. What is beneficial, he says, is “Slowing down to evaluate the path everyone is told to be on and determining if it’s the right path for your goals and dreams,” because, Kinney says, that likely “offers a more meaningful and impactful alternative.”

Learning pace and patience isn’t simple or quick yet the benefit from the improved outcomes could make it a worthwhile pursuit and commitment.

“The oft-used phrase, ‘comparison is the thief of joy,’ is a good roadmap for helping ourselves choose a slower path,” Kinney advises. “Taking time to write out your personal and business goals and what’s at stake if you don't achieve them is the first step. Simply put, comparison is a distraction. While you should have markers to evaluate your own progress, using others as the benchmark proves to confuse what you’re focused on.”

FOMO or Fear of Missing Out is real, as is the passion for achievement and reward is real yet traps exist along the way.

“That confusion leads people to start running fast because they desperately want to catch up to them (other people),” Kinney states. “The problem is that all too often, they begin running fast after another person and unknowingly find themselves on a path that will not lead to personal fulfillment. By regularly slowing down and assessing our goal path and if we’re still on it, will give a person confidence and peace of mind that can run toward what is right for them.”