Off Course/On Purpose Part 3- Why Speed Isn't the Answer

Aug 04, 2025

After realizing I had driven nearly two hours in the wrong direction, the worst part wasn’t the time lost—it was how confident I had been about it. I wasn’t dawdling or unsure. I was flying down the highway, music up, windows down…fully convinced I was making progress.

But I wasn’t. I was going fast, but the speed wasn’t helping me because I was heading the wrong direction.

Clarity is the Compass. Speed is the Gas Pedal.

We live in a culture that celebrates speed—fast growth, fast success, fast solutions.

But here’s the problem:

Speed without direction just gets you lost quicker.

If you don't know where you're headed or more importantly why, it doesn't matter how quickly you move. You’re still off course—just with more urgency and less margin to pivot. Speed is the gas pedal. Clarity is the compass.

Only one of those gets you to the right destination.

Choose Intention Over Intensity

In leadership, relationships, and life we often try to solve problems with more intensity: work harder, move faster, push through. But sometimes, what we need isn’t more fuel—it’s a moment to pause.

When we stop, reflect, and zoom out, we gain the perspective that motion can’t offer. We see the bigger picture and are given the opportunity to realign with our purpose.

Have you experienced this? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been struggling with something, and my first instinct is to try harder to figure it out. Then, for one reason or another, I take a break and think about something else, or go to bed, and the solution becomes clear shortly after. This is a well-known function of our amazing brains to make connections and consolidate memories while we sleep. Stillness brings clarity in a way that speed never will.

Consistency Compounds

We don’t drift toward clarity—we drift toward comfort and chaos.

It’s easy to confuse busy with effective, but progress isn’t just about motion—it’s about meaningful movement. Small, consistent steps in the right direction will always beat chaotic leaps in the wrong one. That kind of direction only comes from margin and reflection. That’s why course correction is so critical—and why it gets harder the longer we wait.

The Longer the Delay, The Higher the Cost

Back to that U-turn…

The realization didn’t hit me for nearly two hours. That’s a lot of wasted gas. Wasted time. Wasted momentum. The same thing is true in leadership:

The longer you wait to admit or realize you’re off course, the more costly the correction becomes.

That’s why building in regular moments of clarity is essential. It’s what keeps your speed aligned with your purpose.