Why Doing Things the Slow Way Is the Smart Way

We live in the age of instant gratification.

Click a button, and dinner appears at your door. Open an app, and a ride is on the way. Swipe right, and a date awaits. The speed at which we access goods, services, information—even people—has created a cultural expectation that faster is better, always.

But here's the problem: the faster we move, the more mistakes we make. And while we may save a few minutes here and there, what we lose is far more valuable—depth, meaning, and long-term success.

This is not an anti-technology rant. I’m as addicted to convenience as anyone. But the illusion of instant solutions is quietly shaping how we think, how we work, and how we relate to the world—and not always for the better.

Convenience vs. Quality

Let’s look at the workplace. From startups to public sector offices, speed is prioritized at every level. Need to fill a position? Post the job and sort by who applied first. Need a new marketing strategy? Use ChatGPT. Need employee engagement? Send a quick Slack poll.

But speed without direction is chaos. When hiring decisions are rushed, you get poor fits, high turnover, and low morale. When strategies are built on surface-level trends, they fail to deliver real value. When relationships are reduced to transactions, trust disappears.

We’ve confused moving fast with moving forward.

The Speed Trap in Hiring

Few industries have felt the pressure of "fast over thoughtful" more than hiring. For many employers, it's about plugging holes in a leaky boat—just get someone in the seat. But without the right long-term fit, that person might be gone before the ink dries on their email signature.

This sense of urgency is only heightened by a widespread talent shortage. Across industries—from healthcare to finance to IT—qualified professionals are becoming harder to find, and even harder to keep. Employers are tempted to lower standards or skip steps just to fill the role. But as any staffing agency will tell you, a rushed hire often costs more than taking the time to find the right match.

Hiring thoughtfully doesn’t mean dragging your feet. It means having a strategy, understanding your ideal candidate profile, and knowing where to look beyond traditional job boards. The companies succeeding right now aren’t the fastest—they’re the most intentional.

Fast Isn’t Always Smart

The appeal of speed is deeply rooted in our psychology. Our brains love shortcuts. Dopamine fires when we check off a task or get a quick result. And in business, we reward responsiveness, not reflection. We value hustle more than hesitation.

But doing things fast doesn’t always mean doing them well.

Fast hires become fast fires.

Fast growth leads to fast burnout.

Fast content gets fast forgotten.

Think about how many rushed decisions you’ve had to revisit—how many “easy” answers created bigger problems. Whether it’s a product launch, a partnership, or a personal goal, slowing down can be the difference between short-term hype and long-term impact.

The Return of “Slow Power”

There’s a reason movements like slow living, deep work, and quiet quitting have gained traction. People are tired of moving fast for no reason. They’re tired of being efficient cogs in a machine that rarely values the sustainability of their time, their energy, or their ideas.

Slowing down isn’t laziness. It’s a form of respect for the process, for your goals, and for your team. Some of the most successful companies are doubling down on thoughtful innovation, inclusive hiring practices, and human-first design.

Even in recruiting, a slow power approach is winning out. Instead of relying on endless job ads, smart organizations are building talent pipelines, investing in internal promotions, and partnering with local staffing agencies that understand both the community and the candidates. It may take more time upfront, but it pays dividends in retention, culture, and productivity.

What Slowing Down Looks Like

Here’s what it might look like to challenge the “instant” mindset:

• Before launching a campaign, talk to your customers, not just your data.
• Before filling a role, ask what the team actually needs, not just what the title says.
• Before replying to an email, take 10 seconds to read it twice.
• Before outsourcing a problem to AI, try thinking it through on your own.

These aren’t productivity hacks. They’re mindset shifts.

They’re small acts of resistance in a world that keeps telling you to go faster.

Final Thoughts

Not everything needs to be optimized, automated, or accelerated. Some things—like trust, creativity, and leadership—only come with time.

So if you’re feeling behind because you’re not moving as fast as everyone else, remember: fast is easy to copy, but thoughtful is hard to beat.

Speed can help you win the sprint.

Thoughtfulness will help you win the marathon.

Choose wisely.