People often say that, “slow and steady wins the race”. This is something gotten from the popular Tortoise VS Hare story. Overtime, this saying has somehow been advised for several aspects of our lives. Whether it’s our academics, relationships, career, wealth accumulation, spirituality etc, it’s been advised.

And while the advice is great, using it in the context of that story is not so great. Coz, if we really think about it… if life was that kind of race, then going slow and steady definitely won’t do us much good, right? To win any race, speed and accuracy is important.

In that context, one would always have to be in competition with someone else and hope for luck. And even that isn’t the saddest thing about it. Perhaps the saddest thing about this saying IN THAT CONTEXT is that, people have realized that the Hare won’t always fall asleep (they won’t always be so lucky). So we have gradually thrown away the “slow and steady” part of it, and focused only on the ‘race’ part.

And now, it has deteriorated so bad, that people are willing to do almost anything to pull people down or draw people back in order to “succeed”. It is no wonder that in the dark version of that children’s story, the Tortoise may have drugged the Hare, so the Hare goes to murder the Tortoise and all its family that night.

Now, I’m not totally dismissing the story. I think it’s got something to teach. But it’s definitely not “slow and steady wins anything”. It is “Don’t sleep while you’re ahead coz someone might just pass you”. Or perhaps it is “pride comes before a fall”. Yeah, that’s it, the pride thing. But even that lesson IN THAT CONTEXT is wrong.

So in what context is “slow and steady” right? This one right here 👇

We’re all on entirely different tracks, so life couldn’t be the type of race from that story. Life is more of a journey kind of race, not a race race against someone else. And this journey, it’s yours, for you alone. Sure, you might meet a few people here and there, but because it’s not that type of race, their presence or absence doesn’t change what you’re “meant to” do or be.

They can help you and you can help them (or not). But regardless of who you meet and whether you or they help, this journey is for you alone and it is your sole responsibility to grow and reach your destination, yeah?

This is the only context slow and steady should be used. It is the only way slow and steady makes any sense.

In this new context, the race you’re in is with you – who you were yesterday – the past, and who you want to be tomorrow – the future. And all that is important is that you keep going till the end. Here, it is not so much how fast or even how smooth, it’s just that you give it your very best and finish, mistakes and all.

Isn’t it sad that the average black man… Nigerian yes, but it’s not just us. Isn’t it sad that we often can’t think long term? And about what we could grow into or accumulate over a long period? Isn’t it sad that saving and investing is strange and difficult for most? And we all just have this, “I want to make it now” syndrome.

And why do we have this syndrome? We’re competing. We’re too concerned about the Hares winning the race.

O sad.

When Elon Musk was briefly the world’s richest, the headlines read: “Elon Musk passes Jeff Bezos to be the world’s richest”. And this is what Elon tweeted: “Oh, that’s nice to know. Anyway, back to work”. That’s a great way to think.

The IPhone (before all they did was add cameras, bigger screens and memory) was the world’s leading phone brand. Why? They only competed with their old phones. They barely even did social media and they still got people literally dying to buy them.

Today, they now compete with all the brands, so desperately that IPhone users can now create app widgets and change app icons (don’t get me started on the wallpapers). And while they maintain number 2 (sometimes, 3) worldwide sales, arguably, they are largely living on the glories of those early years when they simply just improved on their own.

All competition does is blind. You start to think, if you’re 1 step ahead of this person then you win. Whereas, you could be 10 steps ahead, if you never paid attention to them.

We’ve gotta think different and act different. Life is a race, yes. But it is a race from a former you, to a better you. Focus on that, and you will win!