Day 25: Fast and Fusomething

 

DISCLAIMER: THERE ISN'T ANYTHING MUCH WRITTEN IN THIS THAT YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW. INSTEAD OF WASTING THE NEXT 15 MINS OF YOUR LIFE, JUST GO ON WITH IT. WELL IN CASE YOU WANT TO WASTE IT ANYWAY, DO NOT READ ANYTHING IN BRACKETS OR IN RED TEXT, THAT'S A BIT OUT OF CONTEXT USUALLY MY MIND OFF RAMPING. IT WILL SAVE YOU SOME TIME TO DO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS. (SOMETIMES IT'S GENUINE LINKS TO ARTICLES WITH MORE INFO SO READ AND CLICK IT). 

Word of the day: Everything is Fast. But You Shouldn’t Be.

You wake up, check your phone before your eyes even adjust, scroll through 30-second videos, reply to messages with three-letter abbreviations, scroll through 30-second videos. Instant noodles. Instant messages. Instant results. Fast food, fast cars, 5G LTE fast Wi-Fi, too many fast things, not a lot of people fasting though. It's a rat race it's crazy. 

The expectation? That your brain should work like a high-speed internet connection. 

Reality? It’s more like a dial-up modem (those born in the early 90s and before would understand this analogy, I don't) that gets overwhelmed when 20 tabs are open at once.

The problem is that we want growth and change but that doesn’t happen at Wi-Fi speed. It happens in the quiet moments, the pauses between action and reaction, the spaces between decisions and their consequences. But we don’t give ourselves those spaces anymore. We’re too busy rushing from one thing to the next like headless chickens in a productivity contest. We expect to get somewhere where we see results but hey. There is a common Shona saying "kumhanya hakusi kusvika" (No transaltion or meaning fro you today take a moment to go look it up).

(Yes, I’m talking to you. And me, well maybe not me or wait yea also me. And everyone reading this while half-watching a YouTube short.)

Reflection is a Lost Art (And That’s Why We Make Dumb Choices)

You ever made a decision in 0.2 seconds and regretted it just as fast? Thought so.

That’s because we don’t take the time to reflect. We think quick decisions make us decisive, but really, they just make us impulsive.

Studies show that people who take time to think deeply before making choices tend to have better judgment, stronger problem-solving skills, and a higher chance of actually achieving their goals. (And yes, by “studies,” I mean science-y people who measure things with graphs and statistics. Not people who watch 30 sec Tik Tok Videos and scroll through Instagram Carousels and suddenly get convinced they are now experts).

Proverbs 19:2 says, “Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” In other words, running at full speed without direction just means you crash harder. 

Slow = Smart. Fast = Regret.
Look, I get it. We live in a world where if something takes more than three seconds to load, we’re already annoyed. But when it comes to real growth, mental, emotional, spiritual growth you need to step on the brakes. HARD!

Here’s how:

1. Stop Making Snap Decisions.
Thinking of quitting your job? Quit! I'm joking, give it a week. About to send a risky text? Send it, I mean sleep on it. Considering an investment because some guy on TikTok said it’s a “guaranteed win”? Always trust Tik Tok experts but maybe do a little research first.

2. Ponder Before You Respond.
Most of us listen to reply, not to understand. Try this: the next time someone says something that triggers you, take five full seconds before responding. If five seconds feels like forever, congrats! you’re exactly the kind of person who needs to slow down.

3. Make Friends with Silence.
Not every moment needs background noise. Sit in silence for a few minutes every day. No phone. No music. No distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and the uncomfortable realization that you might be addicted to overstimulation. (I know that might trigger some suicidal thoughts but well...)

4. Sleep on Big Decisions.
Your brain processes things differently after rest. A choice that seems urgent today might look completely different tomorrow morning.

5. Stop Treating Productivity as a Personality Trait.
Hustle culture lied to you. You don’t have to be “on” all the time. Take breaks. Let your mind breathe. Slow progress is still progress.

The Internal Environment is the One You Can Actually Control
We can’t slow down the world, but we can slow down ourselves. That’s the real trick, tuning out the external noise and controlling what’s happening inside.

Because at the end of the day, life isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. And the people who win are the ones who pace themselves.

So go ahead, take a breath, slow down, and think a little longer before jumping into the next thing. Your future self will thank you. (Or at least, won’t cringe as hard at your past decisions.)

Now go do something slowly. Like drinking a cup of tea. Or reading a book. Or just staring at a wall for a bit. Whatever works.

This is what we do now slowly.