Why Rushing Hurts More Than It Helps
By Lotfi M’Rad
"Then we rush. And because we rush, we make a mistake."
"That mistake could be really expensive."
Slow downTake a deep breath.
There’s a British saying: “More haste, less speed.” In Dutch, it’s “Haastige spoed is zelden goed.” And if you’re not a native British English speaker, it might sound strange at first. But the meaning is clear: "Rushing Rarely Leads to Good Results".
You’ve probably heard a similar saying from a parent or a teacher. I definitely remember my mom telling me this — and others too, though I can't always remember who exactly. I used to be hasty. Always rushing things. Many of us do. And it’s not just a personal habit — our entire society is built on it. There’s rush hour. Deadlines. Last-minute decisions. In the corporate world, rushing is almost normal. For example, marketing departments always get requests late. That means the printing houses and designers are rushed too. But here’s the thing… I can tell you right now when Christmas will be — ten years from now. When Easter falls. When spring starts. When summer holidays begin. So why are we always rushing… even for the predictable things? It’s because we live in a world programmed for fear. Fear-Based Systems Push Us to HurryJust look at advertising.
“This is your last chance.” “Act now.” “There’s limited supply.” Fear is embedded in the message. If you don't grab it now, you’ll miss out. But often, that urgency is fake. If you do your research, you’ll find that “special offer” was actually the regular price — they just make it look like a discount. Take Black Friday. The price the week before might be cheaper. But suddenly, the same product has a “fake old price” next to it, and it seems like you’re getting a deal. It’s manipulation. And it works better on people who are rushed, tense, or distracted. The Cost of RushingLet’s go back to everyday life.
How often do you rush something and then mess it up? You drop something. Break something. Or make a mistake that takes ten times longer to fix than the time you thought you were saving. Worse — you might lose money that you can’t get back. It’s happened to me. It’s happened to people I know. All because we’re too quick to react. We don’t stop to breathe. We don't step out of the chaos before we act. Why Slowing Down Is a SuperpowerWe’ve been conditioned to believe, “If you don’t do it now, you’ll miss the opportunity.”
And so we rush. And then we crash. But here’s what’s true: Slowing down is essential. Not just to avoid mistakes — but to see clearly. To notice things. To make better decisions. To sense: Is this really the right time? Am I calm enough? What’s the worst that happens if I wait? Because let’s be honest — we’ve all had moments where rushing made a mess of something really important. This is one of the first things I teach in Ground & Go, my weekly practice space. It’s a place to pause, ground, and reconnect with yourself. To learn something small each week that actually sticks — because when you slow down, you can finally notice the small things that matter. When You’re Rushing, You Miss the ButterflyYou won’t notice the butterfly
…if you’re sprinting through the field. You won’t notice the beautiful flower …if you’re too busy chasing what’s next. Slow down.
Feel your body.
Reconnect.
Take a deep breath
Have a wonderful day.
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