Move Fast...But Not Too Fast

The pace of business today is fast.  There is no way around it.  Things move at a blistering pace and entrepreneurs need to be able to move fast, react quickly, and seize opportunity.  

This also lends to multi-tasking and moving quickly from one thing to the next.  I am as guilty of this as anyone.  But when people depend on you to not only be fast, but to be right, it is important to make sure you don't move too fast.

What do I mean?

You have to move fast in today's world, but you also need to keep your attention to detail and make sure that your work and what you are delivering is solid and good.  Moving too fast can lead to sloppiness, especially when multi-tasking.  This happens because our mind gets stretched across all of the things we are moving through and doing.  We tend to move too fast and forget critical, important items or miss details that are important.  This hurts us down the line.

So, how do we combat this?

First, we must understand that we need to move fast, but recognize when we are moving too fast and slow ourselves.  Second, we have to be careful not to multi-task, or at least focus on no more than 2 things at a time.  And when we are doing a task, we need to be present and focused and not be thinking about the other tasks or items we need to do next. 

One trick I've learned to center myself during these fast paced periods of work and day to day needs, is to just stop and take a deep breath.  Then take a moment just to think through the task and how to deliver the best outcome.  After doing that, block out distractions for just a few minutes and concentrate on what it is you need to do.  This little 30 second exercise will help you to still be efficient, but better focused, and give you the ability to achieve better results in your work.  Try it today!