I feel like a lot of what we see nowadays is how to do things quickly.

“How to make fettuccini in 10 minutes.”
“How to get a 6-pack in 30 days.”
“How to make 10-thousand dollars in a week.”

We live in a type of microwave society where we want everything now. Or at least sooner rather than later.

But the truth is, the best things in life come with practice, preparation, and persistence.

Sometimes, you just need to sharpen your axe before swinging.

I’m sure you’ve heard of this quote before, but there’s a saying that’s been attributed to Abraham Lincoln where he said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

That’s preparation.

Because it’s not just about effort—it’s about efficiency. Even if you do take the quick route, how good will the outcome be? Will that fettuccini even taste good? Will that 6-pack be a deformed 3-pack? Speed only gets you half-assed results.

What’s funny is that even someone like Einstein thought the same way.

He was once asked, “If you had one hour to solve a problem, how would you use your time?”

Einstein replied, “I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about the solution.”

That’s clarity.

Two completely different people, but the mindset was the same.

Don’t rush the swing. Don’t rush the problem at hand. Take your time and prepare yourself for the outcome you really want.

In a society that loves shortcuts and hacks, the most underrated skill is patience.

And even the greats knew how important patience was. They didn’t skip the prep phase, so neither should you.

Because when you finally swing your axe, it’ll cut on the first try.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m now reading Waller R. Newell’s book What Is A Man? A 800-page collection of 3,000 years of wisdom on the art of manly virtue.

Quote Of The Week - “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming what you thought you couldn’t.” — Rikki Rogers