1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,869 Amin Ahmed: Hello and welcome back to the Be Well, Do Well podcast. 2 00:00:03,030 --> 00:00:04,279 I'm your host Amin. 3 00:00:04,279 --> 00:00:10,890 And I'm here to share some insights and tips for all you entrepreneurs and also today's episode for all you parents out there as well. 4 00:00:12,430 --> 00:00:17,189 Today we're discussing a fascinating concept that I learned from a client of mine who is a Navy SEAL. 5 00:00:17,790 --> 00:00:18,879 Slow is smooth. 6 00:00:19,119 --> 00:00:20,419 Smooth is fast. 7 00:00:21,169 --> 00:00:22,739 At first this didn't really make sense to me. 8 00:00:22,739 --> 00:00:24,084 I didn't really understand how slow is fast. 9 00:00:24,105 --> 00:00:27,634 Slow can be smooth, smooth can be fast, and how slow can be fast. 10 00:00:28,005 --> 00:00:30,424 So let's dive deeper into this concept today. 11 00:00:30,424 --> 00:00:32,334 Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. 12 00:00:32,854 --> 00:00:35,174 This concept is not just for elite soldiers. 13 00:00:35,594 --> 00:00:39,604 It's incredibly relevant for us as well as entrepreneurs and parents. 14 00:00:39,774 --> 00:00:42,084 Juggling the Demands of Business and Family. 15 00:00:42,134 --> 00:00:44,224 Imagine a Navy SEAL on a mission. 16 00:00:44,734 --> 00:00:47,684 There is no room for error, and haste could be costly. 17 00:00:48,144 --> 00:00:50,854 This is where slow is smooth, smooth is fast comes in. 18 00:00:51,484 --> 00:00:56,964 It means taking deliberate Considered actions to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the mission. 19 00:00:56,964 --> 00:00:57,704 And guess what? 20 00:00:57,824 --> 00:01:00,791 This applies perfectly to our hectic lives as well. 21 00:01:01,931 --> 00:01:03,001 Take a typical Monday. 22 00:01:03,311 --> 00:01:08,571 You've got a pile of work tasks, kids need their breakfast, and you need to go drop them off at school. 23 00:01:09,446 --> 00:01:12,006 The day already feels like a race against the clock. 24 00:01:12,686 --> 00:01:17,636 Your instinct might be to rush through everything, but let's apply some of this Navy SEAL wisdom. 25 00:01:17,636 --> 00:01:19,926 The first half of this, slow is smooth. 26 00:01:20,596 --> 00:01:22,166 This is about being methodical. 27 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:24,286 When you're planning your day, slow it down. 28 00:01:24,666 --> 00:01:26,976 Take a moment to prioritize your task. 29 00:01:27,676 --> 00:01:28,866 What needs to be done? 30 00:01:29,096 --> 00:01:30,666 Right now and what can wait. 31 00:01:30,666 --> 00:01:36,116 This approach reduces mistakes, meaning less time fixing errors and more time moving forward. 32 00:01:36,966 --> 00:01:43,036 Here's a quick little example and a personal story of mine when I did not follow this advice of slow is smooth. 33 00:01:44,016 --> 00:01:48,746 A couple months back there was a big snowfall here where we live in Edmonton in Canada. 34 00:01:49,776 --> 00:01:54,576 It was the first snowfall of the year and of course none of the drivers on the road were used to this. 35 00:01:55,121 --> 00:02:03,231 The roads were icy, and most of the drivers were driving as if it was still summer, with bare, dry roads This resulted in a lot of chaos on the road. 36 00:02:03,411 --> 00:02:12,556 And as you can imagine This was not fun, and it took twice the amount of time to get the kids to school, and we had to be extremely cautious. 37 00:02:13,236 --> 00:02:17,086 Now at this point, I hadn't changed our tires over to our winter tires 38 00:02:17,096 --> 00:02:27,706 . And if you're familiar with driving in winter at all, you'll know that all season tires work great in summer, fall, spring, but they don't work really well when the roads are icy and when the temperature drops below zero. 39 00:02:28,246 --> 00:02:29,776 This is where winter tires come in. 40 00:02:30,506 --> 00:02:37,226 Now our winter tire Swap out hadn't been scheduled yet, and so I knew that it was going to be at least a few weeks before we put our winter tires on. 41 00:02:37,616 --> 00:02:42,796 So I was being extra cautious, driving like the responsible adult in parent I am. 42 00:02:43,446 --> 00:02:46,911 But unfortunately, That's where things changed a little bit. 43 00:02:47,501 --> 00:02:52,611 I was waiting at a red light and this light happened to be at the bottom of a gently sloped hill. 44 00:02:53,581 --> 00:03:02,231 The person behind me obviously didn't get the memo that it is winter now and the roads are icy and was driving a little bit too fast and smashed right into the back of our SUV. 45 00:03:02,231 --> 00:03:06,291 This all would not have happened if I was a little bit more prepared that morning. 46 00:03:06,501 --> 00:03:17,941 You see, the reason that I was even back on the road again was Because I had forgotten something and I was driving back home to go get it and this resulted in this little collision that happened. 47 00:03:18,941 --> 00:03:20,561 So getting back to slow is smooth. 48 00:03:20,741 --> 00:03:29,001 What can you do to prepare yourself and make sure that you don't forget something at home so that you have to then unnecessarily drive in cold winter roads? 49 00:03:30,301 --> 00:03:32,711 Now let's look at the second half, Smooth is Fast. 50 00:03:33,491 --> 00:03:37,141 By being methodical and deliberate, your actions become smoother. 51 00:03:37,681 --> 00:03:44,191 You're not rushing, you're not trying to get somewhere in a shorter amount of time when there just isn't that time available. 52 00:03:45,611 --> 00:03:47,141 You're not tackling tasks. 53 00:03:47,241 --> 00:03:49,921 Instead, you're executing a well thought out plan. 54 00:03:51,001 --> 00:03:53,201 This smoothness leads to speed and efficiency. 55 00:03:53,636 --> 00:03:54,796 Almost paradoxically. 56 00:03:55,876 --> 00:03:59,186 Now I know, some of you are thinking, Amin, I'm not diffusing a bomb here. 57 00:03:59,246 --> 00:04:03,986 I'm just trying to get my kids to eat breakfast, get them to school, and get back to the office or back home. 58 00:04:04,666 --> 00:04:07,266 True, but the principles do still apply. 59 00:04:07,906 --> 00:04:21,266 For example, a smooth morning routine where things are prepared, where you're ready and you've taken time to get all your items in order, that is going to result in a much faster and hassle free morning. 60 00:04:21,266 --> 00:04:23,296 This also extends to parenting as well. 61 00:04:23,956 --> 00:04:31,156 By being present and being focused during family time, even if it's shorter than you'd like, you're creating quality interactions. 62 00:04:31,356 --> 00:04:35,686 This leads to strong bonds and a happier family life, which is a win for everyone. 63 00:04:35,686 --> 00:04:41,856 So as we navigate through this year with our goals and responsibilities, let's keep the Navy SEAL wisdom in mind. 64 00:04:42,316 --> 00:04:49,096 By being slow and smooth in our approach, we can actually move faster towards our objectives, both in business and in family. 65 00:04:49,096 --> 00:04:51,086 Thanks for joining me on today's episode. 66 00:04:51,806 --> 00:04:58,906 Stay tuned for our next podcast episode where we'll explore more strategies to help you thrive as an entrepreneur and as a parent. 67 00:04:59,456 --> 00:05:04,626 Remember, be slow, be smooth, and you'll be surprisingly fast in conquering your day. 68 00:05:05,166 --> 00:05:08,086 Until next time, take care my friends, and we'll talk again soon.