Another one of those amazing German idioms – and one which seemingly exist in every language. The concept, of course, is simple and as old as humanities’ obsession with productivity: Slow and steady wins the race – An insight which flies straight into the face of our obsession with speed and the immediacy of todays world.
Every time I am reminded of this idiom, I can’t help but summarize it as “Stuff takes time.” And I think this is the important lesson we all ought to remind ourselves of regularly: You can’t create something meaningful with a lack of time – and thus patiences, perseverance and endurance.
Companies are built over a decade. Movements rise over the span of years and years of slow, steady progress. Careers are forged over a lifetime.
All of which means that we would be well served to establish a practice of figuring out if we are really committed before we get into something – as stuff takes time. And – at the same time – be deliberate about rapidly prototyping our own lives. Trying things out, learning, iterating – quickly and focussed with the aim to find the things we do want to dig our teeth in for the long haul.
What is your next experiment? And what are you committing to for the long term?