Should You Always Take The More Productive Path?

What’s a struggle you face frequently? One struggle I face is taking the path of least resistance. The path that will get me to my goal quicker.

The more productive path… Or so I want to call it.

Chipmunk hiding in a stump, easy to miss

Image by Jonathan Nightingale

But should I, or you, always take the more productive path? Is it really what we need to be doing?

Or is there a better way?

My Thoughts

Leaders always want to find newer and better ways to accomplish tasks. If we’re able to reduce the amount of time a task takes, we should do it in the, supposedly, more productive way.

This is what we’ve always been told.

Finding the quicker ways to finish a project means we can fit more in our day. We can train more people. We can lead from different vantage points.

That’s great. Sometimes we need to get things done faster. But this isn’t always better. At least in my mind.

I think instead of rushing through a task, we may need to slow down and savor the actions it takes to get to the end.

It’s like walking through the woods.

Walking through the woods isn’t about taking the fastest route. Walking through the woods isn’t about covering the most miles. Walking through the woods isn’t about finding the most geocaches.

Walking through the woods is, instead, about enjoying your time along the path you take. Walking through the woods is seeing the chipmunk hiding in the fallen leaves. Walking through the woods is taking the path, even if it goes out of your way, to see where the trail leads. Walking in the woods is about smelling the scents around you.

Rushing through the woods and getting to the end may be considered productive. But it doesn’t get you much experience. Rushing through your leadership doesn’t get you much leadership experience either.

Sure, it gets you to the end. You can say you did something.

However, can you say you experienced the journey?

Let’s slow down today. Enjoy your leadership journey. And create an experience that will benefit you and your team.

Question: Is it time to quit rushing through your tasks as a leader? What could you experience if you slowed down, even a little bit? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.