The High Cost of Hurry

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When I was around 14 years old I was working on a farm. My boss always pushed us to take our time and make sure we focused on safety first. His son, myself, and my boss were working on putting in some irrigation piping and that day, he was in a hurry for some reason.

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The irrigation system was powered by a pump that pushed water through an 8-inch-wide underground pipe. To connect to the system, you would attach your above-ground pipe to a source pipe that extended about a foot above the ground. When the system wasn't in use, there was a "dead-end" to seal it off. This dead end consisted of a cap with a 10-inch steel plate on top, which was secured in place with a ring clamp.

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As we began to pull off the dead-end my boss could not break the clamp free. Assuming it was rusted shut he started to kick the clamp to break it free. Being in a hurry, what he didn't realize was he had forgot to shut off the water pump which was applying 80psi of pressure to that dead-end. 

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When he kicked it free the dead-end shot up and hit him in the face. He flew back on his back doing a back roll and ended up back on his feet screaming with his hands covering his face. It was like you see in the movies someone's face having acid thrown on it. It all happened so fast I didn't understand what had happened. Blood was literally shooting up in there air, I took off my shirt and gave it to him and it was drenched in seconds.

 

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Long story short, by the grace of God he was able to get to the a near by fire station (due to a train blocking the railroad tracks) to be tended to and they saved him. They said one more centimeter and he would have been gone. My apologies if this was a little too graphic. 

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Obviously being in a hurry can have some significant downsides, but as amplified as this example was, the simple hurries we employ on the daily can be just as significant. Allow it into your life enough and you will live a hurried life.

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How do we end up in such a hurry anyway? Being in a hurry is really just a reflection of an undisciplined life. This can apply in many ways:

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Procrastination: Putting things off until the last minute can lead to a time crunch when everything needs to be done at once. Ask yourself: Have I built a bad habit of putting things off?

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Underestimating Time: We often think tasks will take less time than they actually do, leading to a rush when we realize we’re running out of time. Ask yourself: Am I proactive about my schedule and planning my day?

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Overcommitment: Taking on too many tasks without allowing enough time for each can cause a feeling of being rushed. Ask yourself: Do I NEED to say yes to this?

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Distractions: Constant interruptions or lack of focus can delay progress, making everything feel urgent toward the end. Ask yourself: Am I allowing too much noise in my life? 

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Unexpected Events: Sometimes things change suddenly, like a last-minute requirement or an unforeseen issue, forcing us to scramble. Ask yourself: Do I NEED to say yes to this?

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Being in a hurry has a significant impact on yourself AND the people around you. When it comes to self infliction it causes high stress levels. Have you ever met that person that is constantly stressed out by their day? More often than not, it's self imposed. That's just the tip of the iceberg though. Ask yourself if you experience these results on a regular basis due to being in a hurry:

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Lower Quality of work           Mental Fatigue                     Physical Health

Relationship Strain               Reduced focus Missed           Opportunities

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When it comes to how it affects other people might be the biggest detriment to being in a hurry. This amplified pace of a lifestyle yields a bad attitude, short responses, and a poor regard for others. Have you ever been the person yelling at people as you drive down the highway because they are slowing you down from getting where you're going? Do you ever think maybe it's your fault that you're behind schedule?

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It's worth it to put substantial effort into eradicating hurry from your life. What really spurred this for me was a quote from John Mark Comer when he mentioned (paraphrasing) Love and hurry cannot coexist. Don't believe me? Just think about how you act when you're trying to get your family out the door and you're running late. Probably doesn't sound very loving.

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Today's Forced Challenge: I want you to force yourself to choose at least one practice to reduce hurry in your life. 

1. Plan your day the night before. 

2. Say NO to last minute requests. 

3. Be 15 minutes early to every commitment

4. Commit only to what aligns with your priorities

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You're not going to change everything overnight, but even if you apply just one you will start to notice a difference in your attitude, stress, and overall day. 

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"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

— Albert Einstein