Smooth Is Fast

I have been coaching a client this year who constantly uses the phrase “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Our family recently saw a clear example of this principle in action. On Christmas Eve, I challenged the kids to a contest. The boys would load the wood into our John Deere side-by-side, dump it in the garage, then race back to get another load. If they returned before the girls had stacked the wood, they would win.

The one-minute video below shows the result – a decisive victory -- and bragging rights for the girls. You hear a lot of shouting and frantic movements from the boys, as the girls work swiftly and calmly to the sounds of Christmas music.

Since watching this butt kicking, I have been thinking about whether my client’s phrase contradicts one I often use: “act with a sense of urgency.” I don’t think it does. My daughters jumped right into the work -- but quickly settled into a smooth and steady rhythm for tackling the task at hand. They modeled the great basketball coach John Wooden's advice: “Be quick but don’t hurry.”