Walk. Don’t Run!

That always struck me as one of those nagging motherly things I heard growing up as a kid. “Walk. Don’t run!” Whenever I was excited about something though, walking never seemed nearly as fun as running. Or maybe it was just that I couldn’t contain my emotions in those moments. Either way, I would from time to time ignore that sage advice and run.

Now that I’m older, I know better. I actually heard that phrase “Walk. Don’t run!” in very different context recently. Did you know that firefighters always walk into their fires instead of run? Even in times of crisis, firefighters apparently know that running can cause you to miss something, which then of course can lead to mistakes. And if you are a firefighter, those mistakes can be deadly!

Well, I’m not a firefighter, so arguably my mistakes are not likely to be deadly. With that said, I’m confident that I am more likely to achieve my intended outcomes when I am more thoughtful and walk instead of run.

I still find myself wanting to run from time to time though. Whenever I identify an emerging trend in the marketplace and want to move in a new direction. Whenever I experience something new that I haven’t done or seen before. Whenever I get excited like that little kid did 30+ years ago, I still have a hard time containing my emotions and slowing down.

Unless you are a marathon runner or champion track-and-field athlete though, running just isn’t effective initially. Walking provides an access to taking it all in. Walking creates the space for planning and envisioning one’s success in the future. By moving you at a slower cadence, walking enables you to course correct as needed before you miss your turn. Running, then, is a secondary state that comes only after containing your emotions such that you are present to your circumstances, have a clear path forward, and are in a good place to adjust your speed.