Implement an idea the day you get it.
On a Wednesday evening, I decided to start a blog. By Thursday noon, I had written and published three texts. – This is speed.
Many know that I had two years of programming experience, but still, I knew about websites about as much as your average blonde. I didn’t know much about writing either because I only wrote video scripts, which I started three months earlier. I only knew what I wanted, so I figured out the rest.
One day, in January 2023, I got the idea to branch out my mental math app into a new market: elders. I started the same day, and two weeks later, I was done. Unfortunately, all the apps I created ended up failing,* but it was still worth the try. At least I was fast.
On the same January day, I got the idea to implement augmented reality features to make mental math more engaging and lean toward the competitive edge. In May, I got up and got to work. Before school started, it was clear that this idea was futile. I lacked the proper hardware and didn’t want to dilute my focus. A few minutes passed after I had eaten breakfast, arrived at school and continued to work. I failed and moved on instantly.
Most ideas fail. It’s best to move on fast. Sometimes, your attempts strike gold. Hesitating is the wrong choice.
Speed is key.
Speed reduces stress. You don’t overthink anything; you do it. Action relieves stress; it gets things out of your mind. Hesitating builds pressure, and feeling overwhelmed paralyzes. Since you don’t know the outcome, you are better off doing it quickly – you can adjust or move on only after you act.
Planning? Most people don’t even get over the planning phase; they confuse planning and overthinking. Just doing is often faster. I don’t plan my texts; I write - that’s it. However, planning is undeniably practical when (1) your effort is above your capabilities, (2) you need to avoid distractions, and (3) you know what to do. In such cases, planning speeds up execution.
Move faster, get further. Life can be viewed as a tree. Every decision is a branch. Most stop at each branch. Some decide quickly and get further as a result.
When you always give your best, you will look back proud and relaxed.
Consistency is the foundation.
I never did any real sports up until I decided to stop being lazy and arrogant. I was pissed I could only do five pushups. So, in October 2022, I decided to implement a cute little lifestyle change. Every time I would need a break from my 14-hour workdays where I mainly programmed, I decided to do pushups and pullups. For ninety days, I completed one hundred and fifty pushups a day and fifty pull-ups. – I built consistency using speed. After that, I signed up for the gym.
One percent better every day is nonsense. You can get five hundred percent better in a day. There’s no point in ‘starting low and improving every day’ because you can start higher and improve every hour. Use speed to build momentum and then maintain it using discipline.
If you do something consistently, the power of the compound effect shows its power. Every tiny decision you make adds up. Hence, consistency is of utmost importance.
Use speed to determine whether something is worth being consistent at. Some attempts are futile, and it does not make sense to delay their inevitable failure.
Get consistent with speed and get consistent fast.
Patience in results, speed in action.
Physics is a metaphor for life. Under pressure, you can carry more, as expressed in the formula Q = C ∙ U. Charge is Capacity times Voltage. There are a few other good examples, such as s = v ∙ t. Transition is speed times duration. – When you want to go far, you need speed and time.
Quality?
In the beginning, you need quantity so that you learn what quality even means. Quantity is built using speed. I will write outstanding texts if I practice enough, and I will write excellent texts sooner if I practice faster.
In 11th grade, everyone had to write an eight-page paper on a random topic. Most of the students took a week or two because they delayed it right before the deadline. I wrote mine in six hours, and it was thirty pages long. I got the best possible grade.
You can keep the quality but do it faster.
Being fast in life.
If you don’t ask out that girl, she’ll eventually be taken. If you don’t start that business, it may be obsolete in a decade. If you don’t take risks, life will force you to. Being first is often the only chance to find exceptional success.
Everyone thought that I skipped 9th grade because I watched school videos all day long. Not quite; I had no time to waste. You need to be fast. While everyone is thinking, I'm doing. While others are slow, I'm fast; I know that the universe is built on harmony. Those who are fast are rewarded. Speed beats slowness.
*Added later