Direction Over Speed: Why Rushing Might Be Slowing You Down
I’ve spent a lot of my career rushing. I used to start each day with a long to-do list, determined to tick off as many tasks as possible. But in my eagerness to move quickly, I often found myself making mistakes, redoing work, or getting stuck in cycles of inefficiency. If I didn’t accomplish enough in a day, I sometimes felt like I had failed. Maybe you can relate.
But recently, I’ve started to realize something—speed is overrated. What matters is having a strong sense of direction. Ironically, when you focus on where you’re going rather than how fast you’re getting there, you often accomplish more with greater ease.
Lately, we’ve been setting three-month goals. At the start of each quarter, we define between three and five clear, SMART targets—each one succinct and measurable. Then, we break them down into milestones and steps, structuring our weeks and days to make steady progress. Every task we work on is checked against those targets to ensure it’s moving us in the right direction.
The results? We’re achieving more, with greater focus, and working in a way that feels far more sustainable.
I don’t measure success by how much I get done in a day. Instead, I ask myself: Am I moving in the right direction?
Expanding Our Conservation Job Listings
A great example of this is our conservation job listings at Conservation Careers. For the past ten years, we typically had around 800–1,000 live jobs at any one time—a huge portal of employment opportunities from around the world.
Curating these jobs takes a huge team effort, and we knew we were only scratching the surface of what was available. If we wanted to showcase as many jobs as possible for our members, we needed to find better ways to source, organize, and publish jobs at scale.
So in January, we set a three-month target: To have over 2,000 conservation jobs live on our site by the end of March 2025.
Having that goal forced us to rethink our entire approach—how we source jobs, how we organize them, and how we leverage technology to streamline the process. We took our time, researched, experimented, and gradually refined our systems.
By making steady, incremental improvements rather than rushing, we saw real progress. At the time of writing, we now have 2,488 conservation jobs live on our site, and what once took hours now takes minutes. And with what we’ve learned, that’s just the start…
The shift wasn’t about working faster; it was about having a clear direction and sticking to it.
Do Things Once, Do Them Well
Another example of prioritizing direction over pace comes from an unexpected place. Recently, I met someone walking the entire coastline of the UK—thousands of miles of trails, cliffs, and beaches. When I met them in Wales, I expected them to be steadily covering ground to complete the journey as efficiently as possible.
But instead, they took days off all the time. During the three days we spent together, they relaxed, explored, and soaked up St Davids.
Curious, I asked, “Why aren’t you progressing more quickly? Won’t it take forever to complete the full trek if you keep stopping?”
Their answer has stuck with me ever since: “I’m not planning to do it again.”
It was a simple but profound reminder. How often do we rush through things just to check them off a list, instead of fully committing to doing them well the first time? The idea of embracing the journey rather than racing to the finish line has reshaped the way I think about my own work and long-term goals.
If I were doing that walk, I would have felt guilty for stopping. But this person wasn’t worried about speed. They trusted that as long as they kept moving in the right direction, they would eventually reach their destination. And that’s exactly the mindset I’m trying to cultivate in my work.
Slowing down lets us truly experience the path we’re on.
Being present in the moment is just as important as having a clear direction. When we focus too much on the past—dwelling on what we could have done differently—or on the future—worrying about how much further we have to go—we lose sight of where we are right now.
True progress isn’t just about moving in the right direction; it’s about fully experiencing the journey along the way.
By being mindful, soaking up the present, and embracing each step, we can work with greater clarity and purpose. When we slow down and truly engage with what we’re doing, we not only enjoy the process more but often find that we make better decisions, create higher-quality work, and feel more fulfilled.
When we stop rushing, we appreciate the path we’re on.
Prioritize Direction, Not Pace
Direction, not speed, is the real game-changer. Like a tree growing steadily toward the sun, our work and impact grow toward our goals. The key is defining your destination and making sure every step you take moves you closer to it. Progress will come naturally when you’re heading in the right direction.
Do you ever feel pressured to rush? Or have you found ways to bring more clarity and direction to your work?
It might be time to set some clear goals and enjoy moving towards them steadily and with purpose.