COVID blurred the lines between work and home life, accelerating a culture of being perpetually on call and rushing. Sometimes, urgency is real. Other times, it’s just our own anxiety showing itself. More often, it’s the product of a compulsive, action-oriented culture where speed is valued over thoughtfulness.
What’s the antidote? Take Time to Think (TTT).
One Rule
Shane Parrish tells a story about Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and expert in decision-making. While visiting Kahneman, he received a call requesting him to speak at an event. Instead of saying yes, Kahneman declined to respond immediately. Parrish asked why. Kahneman explained that he follows one rule: Never say yes right away.
Kahneman had learned that his default was to be courteous and helpful, often agreeing to things he would later regret. Giving himself time to think—even for a short while—helped him make better decisions. Parrish was amazed, asking what other rules do you have? Kahneman smiled. “That’s it. One rule.”
The Space Between
Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor wrote Man’s Search for Meaning (1946) based on his observations of fellow concentration camp prisoners. He noticed that some inmates miraculously maintained their dignity and inner freedom. Frankl identified a powerful truth:
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, we have the power to choose our response.
Whether in business, personal relationships, or everyday decisions, we too have a choice: react impulsively or respond thoughtfully.
Rushing, Mistakes, Regrets
If we reflect on our mistakes, we often find they stem from rushing. Impatience, pressure, or external forces push us into hasty decisions — ones we later regret.
President Kennedy learned this the hard way. He uncomfortably approved a critical cable related to a coup in Vietnam on a Saturday when his key advisors were unavailable. Their assistants, eager to see action, had manipulated the situation to get him to act quickly over the weekend. Thurston Clarke, writing about Kennedy, explains how JFK later recognized this as a major mistake in Vietnam policy—one that resulted from allowing himself to be rushed.
The Tailor’s Rule
A CTO I once worked with had a mantra: Follow the Tailor’s Rule – measure twice, cut once. He and his engineers resisted the ever-present demand to hurry up.
Similarly, a CFO colleague at the RussianAmerican Finance Fund (discussed in The Pinball Theory of Business & Life) summed it up well: “Some people never have enough time to do it right the first time; they’re in too big of a hurry. But they always must find the time to clean up after their mistakes.”
The Pause
Beyond actual deadlines and our personal anxieties, we live in an action-oriented business environment that keeps us rushing around. Resist.
Buddhist Executive Coach Nolitha Tsengiwe of South Africa explains the power of the pause. “Just pause and sense that moment of ease that allows us to think with more clarity. We’re habituated not to pause.” She explains that it’s so simple; we just must remember during our day to pause, stop, observe. TTT
