I went to the gas station the other day with my sister for a fast pit stop before traveling about 30 minutes down the highway to go to my house. This gas station is small and not very popular, an accurate representation of the town itself. After using the bathroom that only had one toilet and was out of paper towels, I exited the small room into this hallway. On the wall of the hallway to my left was a phrase written in colorful chalk. It read “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
My first thought was “Well why can I not go fast and together?” Soon I remembered that I was at a gas station and the quote was probably referring to travel. That you should stop to smell the roses while on a road trip with someone who means something to you. That you should make memories. Thats all great advice, but I couldn't stop thinking about the idea that I simply wanted to go far and fast.
You see, I am the type of person who sets goals, and wont stop until I achieve them. I am the type to want to get to where I want to be as fast as possible. My first job, I knew every position in about three to four months and was setting my sights towards management. I worked full time and was a Master Trainer for 9 months. I was responsible of training the crew that were new and I trained each one for about 4 days. I never got to management but I was offered it as a means of staying after I decided to leave the company. My second job has been very similar. I am four months in, I know all the positions, I am an associate trainer, and a caterer. I’ll be a manager in less than 3 months.
But even though my coworkers describe me as someone who is aggressive to move up in positions, I also value teamwork. Without a team, who am I? I cannot be a leader and a coach without anyone to guide. We as a whole cannot be anything without a team. Because if we are not a team, we are simply individuals. Individuals cannot work together, because those who work together are a team. A team is always necessary in life. An individual cannot do it all. So why can we as a team not go far and fast? I know the phrase “you cannot rush perfection.” But how are you a good team if you think things are perfect? A good team allows room for things to be imperfect so that they can always be improving. So no matter if we think we are perfect, we always find something else to work on.
The business major in me thinks that coming together and going far, and getting there fast maybe isn't such a bad thing. Almost all businesses are focused on not only speed but also quality. I think it is great to take time to smell the roses, to slow down and appreciate the small things. But at the same time, how are you going to reach all your dreams if you have spent your life smelling roses and missed all the opportunities you never even pursued?
