Need for Speed - 8/30/19

I was a sprinter in high school. 

During that same period, I was also enrolled in martial arts with my younger sister and two of my cousins. Leading up to this point, my elementary school physical activities involved things like the 100m sprint, football, where my skinny ass played wide receiver, and basketball, where my skinny ass became an outside shooter. 

Where I lacked in size and strength, speed made up for most of it. 

I was usually one of the quickest guys around, but endurance was the trade-off. Power came from my speed. Knowing where I stood amongst the other guys in class, I pushed to be faster and faster, and my teenage body morphed as such, tripling down on my greatest physical asset at the time.

I am comfortable with speed. 

But I’ve also learned that speed can get us into trouble. When was the last time rushing something made a thing better? Higher quality? Longer lasting?

As they say, “easy come, easy go.”

We now live in a world where speed continues to trend.

Have a question? Whip open your phone and Google it. Need a date? Launch that app and start swiping. Want to be rich and gain more followers? Throw money at that webinar and start blasting posts on social media. 

Everything has become a conversation of getting <insert dream here> quick and industries have preyed this societal desire through the very social media platforms that started “your” wants. Don’t get me wrong, quick is a world I like to live in, but as I come into age, I’m learning there is value in the long and hard (TWSS). 

Humans are great at adapting to convenience. We are also quick to complain about a thing that a few minutes ago was outside of our reach. We are hairless apes with iPhones and endless desires for creature comforts.

However, the world of entrepreneurship is a marathon. As Amazon, Tesla, and SpaceX dominate the headlines now, I remember when the odds were stacked against them and public perceptions were highly negative. It’s taken 10, 15, 20 years for these companies to get to where they are today and there is still heavy criticism (giant corporation tax loops aside). 

Whether it’s aging whiskey, playing poker, or starting a business/relationship, playing the long game is the one that sticks. Part of the equation is simply because you were the only one crazy enough to stick it out long enough and everyone else quit. You simply stayed in the game long enough, found a way to survive, and became the last one standing.

Being patient and not rushing is something that was very uncomfortable for me to learn, but I've learned to exercise it in daily activities. Building IKEA furniture, working on the car, even washing the dishes. 

Powerful locomotives don’t begin with a drag race. They push slowly and steadily and stay that pace for thousands of miles. 

With almost a year in with Altered Mechanics, I feel as if I’ve barely begun. Each day I aim to contribute 0.1% to keep this company in the game that will lead towards the BIG accomplishments made from these micro-actions. Over time, as long as we can keep moving, we will succeed.

How has the slow game worked out in your life?

Fuck yeah, it’s Friday!  

Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash