The Art of Slowly, Slowly

Aug 26

JULY 15, 2024

It doesn’t matter how fast you’re moving if you’re moving in the wrong direction. It’s following the direction of your goals, regardless of your speed, that ultimately leads you to where you want to go. It’s better to move slowly in the right direction than quickly without a plan.

Focus on the path, not the pace

The guides on Kilimanjaro instructed us to walk “pole pole” [pronounced po-lay po-lay] – a Swahili word that means slowly, slowly.

In the beginning, I couldn’t understand why we were going so slow. But as we increased our elevation via the Lemosho route, 7 days total, I started to embrace the art of slowly, slowly: embracing the direction we were going over the speed we were moving… until we reached the summit.

Said another way, direction determines destination, not speed. An idea that author, Jim Rohn, shared as well.

Moving quickly in the wrong direction will not get you where you want to go. It’s only by following our path, however slowly, that we arrive where we’re meant to be.

It might be slow

It might be hard.

It might be confronting and uncomfortable.

Kilimanjaro was all of those things. One foot in front of the other, we all will reach the top. Pole pole.

Key Idea

Direction determines destination, not speed. It doesn’t matter how fast you’re moving if you’re moving in the wrong direction. It’s following the direction of your goals, regardless of your speed, that ultimately leads you to where you want to go. It’s better to move slowly in the right direction than quickly without a plan.

Takeaway

Focus on the path, not the pace

Build your Movement

What steps are you taking toward your ultimate goals? What plan can you put in place to ensure continued progress, however slow?