In a world where innovation is rewarded, it is not only about thinking right, but also about acting quickly. There is a power in speed that is often underestimated in creative processes. Being first to market, first with an expression or first with an idea can sometimes outweigh being precise or error-free. It is not always the perfect solution that wins, but the one that becomes reality first.
But this does not mean that we should act without thinking. It is rather about understanding the difference between being in a hurry and being fast. Being in a hurry is often reactive, careless and stress-driven. Being fast is strategic, decisive and focused. It is about having an inner drive, a clear direction and above all: a strong emotional commitment, what we usually call urgency.
Urgency – creating time and pressure at the same time
Creative work requires space. It needs time for reflection, play and unexpected connections. At the same time, innovation requires a feeling that something is at stake. Without a certain pressure, without the feeling that it actually matters that we do something now, creativity tends to become passive and stagnant.
This is where urgency becomes central. It forces us to focus, but also to create the gaps in everyday life where creativity can have room to breathe. It is a balancing act: to simultaneously feel urgent and have patience. To both press the gas and know when to stop.
Procrastination and incubation as strategic slowness
In creative thinking, there is a well-known phenomenon: incubation. When we let go of a problem and do something else, our subconscious processes the issue further. This is why ideas often come in the shower, during a walk or in the middle of the night. Allowing yourself to wait, to procrastinate in the right way, is a way to invite deeper thought patterns.
However, it becomes difficult when you are also experiencing time pressure. It is not intuitive to turn off the pace when you feel urgency. Yet this is often exactly what is needed to come up with the creative solution faster. This is one of the keys to successful creativity: knowing when it is worth waiting, in order to then act faster, more clearly and with greater accuracy.
Lessons from a digital world
In the movie Ready Player One, we get a clear example of how creative thinking combined with an understanding of timing creates success. To win a race in the game, the player does not only have to drive fast, but first understand that the solution does not lie in accelerating forward like everyone else, but in going backwards. It is only when the main character chooses to do the unexpected, thereby breaking the logic of the game, that the path to victory opens up.
This metaphor is powerful: sometimes we get there faster by pausing, thinking differently and challenging the obvious.
An example: product development under pressure
Imagine a team that has to launch a new feature in an app within six weeks. The natural reaction is to immediately throw yourself into design and code. But another team takes two days at the beginning to do a PMI analysis, use random words and discuss possible ways forward. They come up with a more unexpected and more accurate solution that also turns out to be technically easier to implement. They manage to launch before their competitors, precisely because they took their time in the beginning.
Acting quickly in the right way
To benefit from speed as a creative force, we must:
- Create a sense of urgency, not stress
- Set aside time for creative incubation even when it feels counterintuitive
- Practice recognizing when quick action is required and when waiting creates better results
- Learn to think in unexpected ways and dare to break patterns, even when time pressure is great
Speed is therefore not an enemy of creativity. On the contrary, it can be its best friend, if we understand its nature. Acting quickly is not about rushing, but about being present, focused and brave enough to sometimes wait. In that space between reflection and action, solutions are born that are not only new, but also right. Right on time.
