Preface: “It is the joy of work well done that enables us to enjoy rest” – Elisabeth Elliot
Why Diligent Business Owners Should Appreciate Pace
“There’s never enough time.”
“How did I work 12 hours and still feel like I’m behind?”
“I just need to push harder.”
Sound familiar?
For many business owners, the faster they go, the more behind they feel. It’s a paradox that plagues entrepreneurs, especially those driven by passion, pressure, or both. But what if the answer to greater success wasn’t doing more, but doing less, better?
Let’s unpack this truth: “The faster I go, the more behind I get.”
The Trap of Speed Without Direction
In business, urgency often disguises itself as importance. Responding to every email, attending every meeting, and chasing every opportunity might feel productive, but it frequently leads to reactive leadership rather than intentional growth.
Busyness is not effectiveness. Speed can create the illusion of progress while eroding clarity, relationships, and the quality of decisions.
Burnout by Acceleration: Consider a business owner who scaled too fast, launching new services, hiring rapidly, and taking on too many clients. Within a year, revenue was up, but so were client complaints, employee turnover, and accounting errors. Growth outpaced capacity. He looked successful from the outside, but internally, he was exhausted, disconnected, and questioning the entire mission. Why? Because he confused motion with direction and purpose.
Why Pacing Is Powerful
It Protects Your Priorities. Slowing down gives you room to ask: What matters most right now? It’s how leaders move from reactive to strategic.
It Preserves Relationships. Whether it’s team members, customers, or family, rushing through life usually means leaving people behind. Pace allows you to lead with presence.
It Improves Quality of Thought. Slower decision-making often yields better outcomes. When we breathe, pause, and reflect, we access wisdom, not just instinct.
It Avoids Waste. Rushing leads to rework. You don’t save time by moving fast if it leads to mistakes you must clean up later.
Jesus: Never in a Hurry
In the Gospels, Jesus is never described as rushing. Even when facing urgent needs—a dying child (Mark 5), a grieving family (John 11), or a desperate crowd—Jesus moved with intentional calm.
He never sprinted to meet a need, yet He was always on time. Does his pace communicate something deeper? Perhaps it conveys that peace comes from being aligned with purpose, rather than urgency.
When Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited (John 11:6). Not because He didn’t care, but because He knew that the greater miracle needed room to unfold.
When we move too fast, we often cut short the opportunity for something greater.
Practical Tips for Pacing Your Business
Establish Margin in Your Schedule – Block time that isn’t spoken for. Use it for reflection, rest, or problem-solving. Don’t schedule every hour.
Set Weekly “No Rush” Hours – Have a day or time where nothing is urgent. Use it to think, listen, or learn. Urgency doesn’t equal importance.
Practice Sabbath Principles – Take one day per week to disconnect entirely. You’ll be more focused and grounded when you return.
Define What Enough Looks Like – Growth is good, but growth without boundaries leads to burnout. Set your targets, and know when you’ve hit “enough” for now.
Lead by Example – Your team watches your pace. If you are frantic, will they be too? If you walk in peace, they’ll learn to trust the process.
Final Thoughts
The wisdom of “slow down to move forward” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s a leadership strategy and a spiritual principle. The faster you go, the more likely you are to miss what truly matters.
Jesus never ran, yet He fulfilled the greatest mission in history.
As a business owner, you don’t need to run harder—you need to “walk” wisely. Clarity, not chaos, is what fuels lasting impact.
Today, consider giving yourself permission to slow down. You might find you’re actually getting ahead.