All about me - I am SLOW but not in the way you think

I am slow at completing most tasks and as a result some people conclude that it is because my mind is slow and that I am finding the tasks difficult. However, as I will explain this is really not the case.

Our world too often equates being quick with being bright and being skilled at something, particularly at school or in the work place. If a child hesitates or is slow to give an answer many teachers will think that they do not really understand the topic properly.  Equally if a child is given a set of sums to do and they only complete half in the time allocated, a teacher will conclude that the child was struggling to complete them even if they are all correct.  Many teachers find it hard to understand that needing time to process a question or formulate a sensible answer does not indicate a lack of understanding or depth of knowledge.  Also completing a task slowly does not indicate that the person finds the task hard, has weak or partial understanding or lack of competence in that area.

It is possible to be intelligent, skilled and capable and JUST be slow.

I am slow at almost every practical task from chopping an onion to buying a list of groceries in the supermarket. In nearly every task it will take me twice as long as my husband to complete it but doesn’t mean that I cannot do the task properly. When I am cooking I work slowly but still create delicious food. If I do try to go faster I usually make a mistake, hurt myself and get stressed. In the end I am not faster at all.

I am slow at academic tasks too – slow to read, to write and complete calculations. But I can read at a high level, I can write informatively and I can complete complex calculations. Again, if I try to go faster I end up having to do the task twice as I miss important information, miss out words or miscalculate.

In a meeting I will often sit quietly for most of it, thinking and processing what everyone is saying. Then when I am ready I will make a comment or explain my point of view.  However, if I am put on the spot or asked my opinion before I have formulated my thoughts, I will be tongue tied and look like I don’t understand or was not listening.

Strangely when it comes to thoughts and ideas my mind is like a pinball machine, it is not slow at all. Very often when I sit quietly or am doing a task or am trying to go to sleep my mind will be bombarded with thoughts. It can quite frustrating when your hand cannot write then down quickly enough and you cannot act on them all at once!

In a world that is going faster and faster and workplaces that demand more and more productivity, many people are missing the point that speed is not competence or even excellence.  Many talented and hardworking people are made to feel inadequate because they can only work at certain pace. As a world, we need to learn that NOT everything has to be done quickly, it is OK to do things slowly and well.