I have a thing about speed.
When I used to work as an Executive Assistant at a global consulting firm. I’d sit in front of the computer chugging red bulls or yerba mate, hoping the caffeine would quicken my pace and get me though the day.
In a yearly review, my boss compared me to a Lamborghini. Fast and effective was valued (I still take that as a compliment).
That type of speed is a funny thing. It feels fast and bright, but also constricting. There’s a tightness and pressure that can exhaust me.
Have you ever experienced flow? Oh so good.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi the original researcher of this state. Flow "is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity”.
It’s often referred to as "being in the zone". Things feel effortless, hours zoom by in an instant. Some of the world’s best work comes from people being in flow state.
It’s a like a time dream for me.
This month I signed up for an online course that teaches flow states. Nothing exciting to report yet - it’s the first week, I’m still learning.
The hare, specifically the brown hare, is the seventh fastest animal; it's right behind the cheetah, the American longhorn, and a few types of gazelles. A brown hare can out run a greyhound, maxing out at an impressive 45 mph.
Hares are fast.
So I picked the hare this month to guide my inquiry into speed.
Is fast always good? When is slow more effective? How might I find flow?