Your Thinking Rate Is Fixed

Everyone is trying to work faster all the time, and they pressure everyone around them to work faster too. Examples include:

• Loading on extra work.
• Railing against any apparent waste of time.
• Expecting superb performance all the time.

However, speeding up often results in poor decisions that create future problems. We can't force ourselves to make faster decisions just because we're faced with an unrealistic deadline.

The rate at which we process information is fixed, Tom DeMarco points out. If you're under pressure, the quality of your decision worsens. You may miss possible angles, won't think ahead, etc.

The clearer you think, the better your decisions will be. This often means you have to slow down and spend more time on your decisions.

Integrating new, better approaches to thinking does not lead to immediate improvements. It takes lots of time and repetition, just like any other skills.

Making good decisions is hard work and needs reduced pressure. It requires constant learning and verifying what you think you know, especially in the fields where the most relevant information has a short half-life. Instead of thinking faster, try to think better.