Don’t Outrun Yourself: Joy Can’t Keep Up

TL;DR Renaldo’s reminder isn’t “slow down.” It’s don’t outrun yourself. When you move too fast, you stop noticing what matters and sometimes, joy can’t keep up. Speed starts things; finishing builds trust. Build a year you can live inside, not just one you can brag about.

I was listening to a podcast, Coffee with Crainer, and caught a clip of my friend Renaldo. One line stuck with me, mostly because it's not just a quote for him. It's just how he lives.

"Take your time. Figure out what makes you happy and what you want to do. Don't move too fast. Sometimes the quicker you move, you leave things behind."

At first it sounds obvious. Slow down. Be present. All the usual stuff.

But I don't think he meant "go slower." I think he meant: don't outrun yourself.

Because the real danger isn't being behind on work. The real danger is being behind on you.

When you move too fast, you stop noticing the signals. The small rituals. The people. The moment you could actually feel proud. The faster you go, the more your life becomes next thing, next thing, next thing. You're always arriving, always leaving.

Sometimes joy doesn't disappear, it just can't keep up.

You can still be winning. You can still be productive. You can still be in motion. But if you're moving at full speed, you're not actually living it. You're surviving it.

The thing about speed is it's good at starting. It's terrible at finishing. You can spin up ten things. You can look busy. You can feel like you're moving. But finishing, actually following through on what matters, that's different. That requires you to stay. And staying builds something: trust in yourself.

That's the real cost of outrunning yourself. It's not just that joy can't keep up. It's that you can't keep up with your own commitments.

So here's the question: Are you building a year you can brag about, or a year you can actually live inside?

Those aren't the same thing. A year you can brag about looks good from the outside. Productivity. Motion. Forward. A year you can live inside feels steady. It has people in it. It has moments you actually pause to feel. It's built on things you actually finished, not just started.

You can tell which one you're building by what keeps getting left behind: The rituals. The conversations. The follow-ups. The moment that mattered but you were already thinking about next. The last 10% that turns a start into a finish.

Before I chase the next thing, I ask myself: What am I leaving behind and do I have a real reason to?

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the storm is worth standing in because something you love is on the other side. Sometimes the speed is necessary.

But sometimes you realize you've just been running. And that's when you have to choose: keep moving or move toward something that actually matters.

This Week's Thoughts …

What's one thing you refuse to leave behind in 2026?

Where are you moving so fast that you're leaving you behind?

What’s one finish this year that would change how you trust yourself?

#ThoughtsOnThursday