Slow is Smooth...
Volume 45
I’ve always been fascinated with the Navy SEALs.
I read every book about their notoriously tough training and the nearly impossible missions they complete. I’m inspired by the mental fortitude it takes to be prepared to act at the highest level at a moment’s notice.
If I’m being honest, I’m probably attracted to the aura of the SEALs because what they do feels so beyond what I could do. And yet every book I read or podcast I listen to about the SEALs reinforces that they are humans just like me, but with very mindful goals and approaches that they apply under pressure.
It’s that time of the year when many people are feeling the pressure of specific timelines on finding a new job. Maybe it’s an upcoming graduation. Or some internal deadline they’ve set for themselves to move on from a current role. Or perhaps they feel external pressure to find a job to support their family before their savings run dry. Regardless, this time pressure makes everything feel rushed, every decision hyper important, and makes a potentially tough job search even harder.
“I have to apply for that job immediately after it’s posted…”
“I can’t join you for dinner. I have to work on my job search…”
“Applying to 30 job postings a day is exhausting…”
Folks in this situation would benefit from a popular SEAL saying: “slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” Being thoughtful and deliberate in their training allows SEALs to move efficiently and confidently when they face a challenging situation. The lessons from their training are equally applicable for your career, even if a job search error doesn’t carry the same weight as a SEAL’s tactical mistake.
So take a beat before you let the pressure of your job search speed you up. What does that tactically look like in your job search?
Focus on the foundation: Understanding what’s important to you, what your strengths are, and where you want to go should be your first step, not updating your resume or perusing a job board. Clarifying these items at the beginning of your search allows you to know what career, industry, company, or role might be a good fit and what would not a good fit. (Get a free resource to help you build a strong foundation here).
Get directionally right: When starting a long-distance road trip, it is less important whether you begin on a highway or a side street, provided you are moving toward a clear destination. Your long journey ahead offers ample opportunity to refine your course along the way.
In a job search, you do not need a perfectly mapped-out plan to begin; you simply need to ensure your initial steps are oriented in the right general direction. Pause at the beginning of your search to make sure you know what that general direction is. Reactionary approaches that take you back into an industry or role that you aren’t excited by is starting off your search in the wrong direction.
Know the difference between motion and action: Motion makes it feel like we are making progress in our search when in reality we’re not. The classic example of that is mass applying to jobs where you have no advocates. Sure, it feels like progress because, yay, you hit submit on an application!
But the reality is that you’re essentially buying a lottery ticket: you’re spending time for a low probability of return. Contrast that with the action of mindfully building relationships with potential advocates who can help pluck your resume from the pile. It feels slower, but it can build momentum in ways that unfocused job applications cannot.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Sounds counterintuitive, but a little focus and intentionality now can enable you to move faster and more quickly achieve your goals down the road.