Direction > Speed
I recently came across a quote by the Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho, that really stood out to me:
“Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed.”
I like it because it’s so simple, yet makes so much sense. It’s a clear reminder of something we all often forget: growth / change / learning is not about intensity, it’s about being intentional and strategic.
At times, we can all get these bursts of motivation— where we want to go ALL IN to something and go from 0 to 60 overnight. Sometimes that’s because of excitement, desperation or envy… or whatever reason that entices us to want to make big changes fast.
But let’s be honest: how often has that approach actually worked for us? If we’re realistic, we probably haven’t had that much success that way. Think about all the times when you see someone else with abs and toned arms in the gym and you say “I’m gonna look like that too! ASAP! I just need to go to the gym for 3 hours every day and eat only green vegetables, and… and… and….”
… Well, what happened? Let me guess. You burned out. You got hurt. You got distracted. You lost the spark. You started feeling bad about yourself. Then maybe you even started resenting the original goal and questioning why you even started in the first place. Without a strategic plan, the initial intensity faded, and you were left feeling worse than when you started. :(
That’s why Paulo Coelho’s words mean so much to me. Because it’s a reminder that:
When we start slowly and strategically we can take our time to build a solid foundation that sets us up for long-term success —
NOT just a quick win that’s impossible to sustain.
So, again I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, not just for myself as I’m learning a new language (in my case, Portuguese), but also as I guide our students that I work with. Whenever somebody new joins the program, I always encourage people to set realistic goals. For example: ‘let’s start with 8 hours per month and build…. Not 12 hours and burnt out’.
Why?
Because it’s so much better to achieve those six hours like a boss, feel good about it, and then build on that success, rather than overcommit and feel discouraged and then [maybe] end up quitting all together. I’ve seen that happen way too too many times to people and I hate it.
The ultimate goal should always be to feel proud of yourself and to make steady progress, not to feel overwhelmed, bad about yourself and give up. Again, as the quote says, “direction is more important than speed”.
By moving in the right direction, you’ll naturally gain momentum over time. And when you look back, you’ll see how far you’ve come—all because:
