Years ago, I was playing TypeRacer, a game where you compete against others to see who can type a given phrase the fastest. My mission was to type this quote from Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques by Ross Bentley faster than everyone else:
The less you do with the controls, the less chance of error. Steer, shift, and use the pedals smoothly, and with finesse — not with blinding speed and brute force. The slower you move, the faster the car moves.
I immediately stopped what I was doing, wrote this down, and had a good, long think about it.
The idea that’s encapsulated here clearly doesn’t just apply to motor racing — I think anyone will have a corner of their life that this clearly applies to, be it a different, competing against other people to see who types the fastest, or something entirely different.
For me, it’s an embodiment of the philosophy you have to take when managing change:
- The less you do with the controls, the less chance of error.
- Apply finesse, not blinding speed and brute force.
- The more confidently and calmly you act, the better the result.
The slower you move, the faster the car moves.
