How To Thrive As a Tortoise in a World of Hares
By: Becky Grant
Tags: Self-awareness, Life Lessons, Freelancing, Writing, Self

Tips for the Slow and Steady

Photo by Miriam Miles on Unsplash

“Slow and steady wins the race” is the modern moral of Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. But, for those of us who work slowly and steadily it doesn’t feel like we are winning anymore.

In a world of tweeters tweeting nearly 6,000 times per second, Medium users generating 20,000 articles a day, and a pace of life in cities that is up at least 10% from the mid-90’s, those of us who identify with the tortoise may feel like we’ve been left behind.

Never fear, tortoises. With the right strategies, we can still win the race.

When I Realized I Was a Tortoise

When I joined Medium and began to share stories I spent days agonizing over my word choices and polishing my pieces. That’s just the way I work.

Then, I joined a few online communities. The support was tremendous. At that point, I realized that many of the top writers were posting at least once a day or even multiple times a day and then reading, commenting, and clapping for several of the 60+ articles shared by the community. At first, I was impressed and amazed. Then, I felt overwhelmed.

I knew I could not sustain such a pace and still produce quality work. Some people can, but I am not one of them. With practice, I would probably get faster, but not that fast. I think and deliberate too much. Besides, finding balance in life is important to me.

As I began each new story I felt like the sloth in the DMV from the movie, Zootopia. I would slowly work away on my first story of the week while writing peers were hitting publish on their third, fourth or even fifth stories.

Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this I thought to myself. Then, after some self-reflection, I realized that being a slow, careful worker has advantages and I just needed to capitalize on them. With careful planning, slow and steady can still win the race.

Here are some top tips for the slow and steady:

Play to Your Strengths

What are your strengths?

If you’re a writer, be okay with not producing as much as others. Some Indie writers write 7 or 8 books a year. If you’re still working on your first novel manuscript after 5+ years, never mind, you’re in good company. J.R.R. Tolkien took 12 years to complete The Lord of The Rings. Focus on quality and not quantity.

If you’re writing articles, start with your areas of expertise first. Maximise value. Stick with your original idea and don’t allow yourself to get distracted. Otherwise, you’ll never complete any of your projects. Jot down the new ideas for later, but then maintain laser-sharp focus on your current work in progress.

Find Your Route

As a tortoise, you especially need to plan your route. You don’t have time to get lost or veer off course. If you’re focused on quality, have a plan, know where you are going and most importantly, know why you are going there.

What is your why?

What is your purpose for writing on Medium or anywhere else?

It is so easy to get caught up in what your peers are doing and lose sight of your own personal goals. Identify your purpose and return to it daily.

My purpose for writing on Medium is to improve my writing skills. With the option to instantly publish and receive feedback from readers, publication editors and even other writers, Medium is a highly motivating platform. I am also reading to learn what professional writers do to market themselves and their books because I am hoping to publish a children’s novel by 2020. Finally, I hope to build an audience of parents because they might be the ones to buy my children’s book in the future.

Even though it’s tempting to write in multiple topics like some of my writing peers, this doesn’t necessarily serve my purpose. Instead, I will learn from my writing peers, cheer them on and continue to focus on my own big picture. It may not be quite as lucrative, but my children’s novel is my first priority.

“Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.” — Oprah Winfrey

Journal

Get to know yourself. Take the time to reflect on your working habits. If you do not have a big picture, journaling is the best way to find one. As you refect at the end of each day and set out your priorities each morning, you will get closer and closer to pinpointing your route. Also, think about the following questions.

How do you work best?

Where do you work best?

Under what conditions?

I know I need at least 2 to 3 days with a piece of writing because I often have flashes of insight after I let it sit.

Make a Plan and Stick To It

Figure out how much time you need to realistically meet your goal. Map it out. Stick to your plan and use a timer. As a perfectionist I can easily waste an hour editing one paragraph. Or, if I’m cleaning, I may decide to suddenly scrub the mold out of the grouting with a toothbrush when I only meant to wipe down the sink. Now I write and clean with a timer set. This prevents me from getting distracted.

Use your timer and stop when it rings. Take breaks. Your best creative thoughts will come when you are resting and recuperating. This will help you take care of yourself and return to your tasks energized.

Have a Concrete Deadline

Plan when you will hit publish. As a tortoise, you are not allowed to move on to your next project until you do. This is winning the race.

Right now I have three stories outlined in my journal. I want to move onto the next one, but I won’t let myself until I get this one polished and published. My deadline is today.

Take the Plunge

Now is the time to let go. You’ve followed your plan. Share your story so it can benefit others. Get over your fear of failure.

Jump off the cliff and learn how to make wings on the way down.” — Ray Bradbury

That’s it. You did it! You crossed the finish line. Now, take a few minutes to enjoy the feeling. Then, begin your slow, steady process all over again. Maybe you will even finish two stories this week.