The #1 Habit Keeping You Stuck? Rushing—Here’s Why CEOs Never Do It
The Morning I Realized Rushing Was a Lie
It was 6:30 AM in Arlington, VA, and I was already in chaos.
I had just finished my morning routine—a workout, quick meditation, and shower. The crisp morning air should have set a calm tone for my day, but instead, I was in full-blown rush mode.
💥 Frantically cutting bananas for my smoothie.
💥 Stuffing clothes into my gym bag while checking my phone.
💥 Sprinting out the door, already feeling behind.
I convinced myself I was being productive. That I was getting ahead.
But the reality?
💥 My heart rate was skyrocketing.
💥 I was stressed before the day even started.
💥 I wasn’t actually getting more done—I was just moving faster.
And that’s when it hit me:
Rushing doesn’t make me more productive. It just makes me more anxious.
It was a habit—one I picked up living in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area, where rushing is a way of life. Everyone is speed-walking, weaving through traffic, sprinting between meetings.
And for what?
I realized the underlying belief driving this chaos:
⚠️ “If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”
⚠️ “If I’m late, people will think I’m unprofessional.”
⚠️ “If I don’t rush, I won’t achieve my goals fast enough.”
And the biggest lie of all?
“Rushing = success.”
Why the Most Successful People Never Rush
When I started intentionally putting myself around high-level CEOs, investors, and leaders, I noticed something surprising:
🚀 None of them rushed.
🚀 They moved with precision, not panic.
🚀 They were methodical, not frantic.
🚀 They made time their ally, not their enemy.
They weren’t stressed about being a few minutes late to a meeting because they understood something most professionals don’t:
⏳ Rushing is a sign of poor time management, not high performance.
When you rush, you:
❌ Make mistakes.
❌ Think reactively instead of strategically.
❌ Operate from stress instead of control.
And let’s be honest—no one at work is thinking about you being five minutes late. Everyone is thinking about themselves.
The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything
If you want to operate at a higher level, you have to unlearn the belief that rushing = productivity.
Successful people know:
✔️ Time expands when you’re intentional.
✔️ Being calm under pressure is a power move.
✔️ Slowing down actually makes you more effective.
I made small but powerful shifts:
✨ Gave myself extra time in the morning.
✨ Walked into meetings with composure.
✨ Stopped letting urgency dictate my day.
And everything changed.
How to Stop Rushing & Stay in Control
Here are three simple shifts to help you break free from the rush mentality and operate like high performers:
✅ Pause before responding in a conversation. Give yourself space to think before reacting.
✅ Arrive at a meeting composed, not rushed. How you enter a room sets the tone for how people perceive you.
✅ Build buffer time into your schedule. Instead of cramming back-to-back meetings, create space to reset.
Then ask yourself: Are you actually falling behind? Or do you feel more in control?
Want to Go Deeper?
📖 Get a Free Chapter of My Book: Success Starts Within – Learn how to break free from burnout and create success that feels as good as it looks. Download your free chapter here → Click Here
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