Learning Fast vs Slow

For a stretch of my career, I commuted on Chicago’s Blue Line... twenty-five minutes each way from Logan Square. That time became my routine for reading. I’d open a book on innovation, leadership, or psychology, read a few chapters, and mark my progress before stepping into the office.

It was a productive routine. I’d underline key ideas, jot down notes, and arrive at work with fresh concepts to share... becoming known for insights and ideas, referenced from "the book I just read."

For that season of my career, I was learning fast and putting it to use right away.

But years later, I looked back at my bookshelf and noticed something I feel weird even admitting. Entire rows of books with no memory of their contents whatsoever. I recognized the covers but couldn’t tell you what they were about. I had consumed a lot, but absorbed very little.

That realization gave me pause.

I had been learning for efficiency, not depth. I was skimming the surface instead of letting the material sink in.

Some lessons shape what we know. Others shape who we become.

Pace is the difference.

Pacing Implications

It’s the article you read before an interview to understand the company’s latest announcement. The quick YouTube tutorial that helps you refresh a skill in your domain. The podcast that introduces a new framework you can reference in conversation later that day.

These quick hits of learning keep us current. They help us adapt, speak the language of the moment, and stay visible in our field.

But they’re not meant to last forever. They’re inputs, not anchors. They give you agility, not depth.

Learning slow, on the other hand, is what gives an identity to our knowledge.

It’s the book you’ve reread three times because each time it reveals something new. It’s the domain you discuss with peers, debate in meetings, and find yourself referencing months later. It’s the kind of learning that doesn’t just inform what you know — it transforms how you think.

When I look at my shelf again, there are only a handful of books that fit that description. They’re the ones with the most wear-and-tear... Made to Stick. The Innovator's Method. Atomic Habits. I’ve underlined, annotated, discussed, and returned to them often.

Those books are part of me now. They’ve shaped my decisions, my leadership, and how I approach my work.

Both Paces Matter.

Fast learning keeps you adaptable. It’s what helps you bring fresh ideas into a conversation or a project. It widens your perspective and helps you keep up with the world as it evolves. For me, it was picking a topic that was timely to my work, and finding a book that could give me insights to enact.

Slow learning keeps you grounded. It gives you perspective and wisdom that compounds. It’s what allows you to connect dots others miss – because you’ve spent time living with the material, not just glancing at it. For me, it has always been my passion for understanding what drives businesses forward... investing years into learning about this from every angle.

One gives us fluency in the room. The other shapes the room we're in.

Developing a Learning Agenda

If I imagine the version of myself a year from now (the responsibilities I want to have or the kind of work I want to be doing) it’s usually clear what I need to start learning today.

Job Descriptions can be a helpful source of inspiration because they often highlight what's market-relevant. Sometimes a mentor can be a good curator of your learning list. But more than anything, pay attention to what sparks curiosity. Because curiosity is a useful signal for deeper alignment.

So before you make your list, try that. Picture the next version of your career. Ask yourself: What would make me unmistakably ready for that?

Write down the ideas or skills that come to mind. Not as “gaps,” but as ingredients. Pieces of the professional you’re building into. Those are your future-ready skills; the abilities and perspectives that make tomorrow’s version of you stronger than today’s.

Make Two Lists

• On the Fast side, jot the topics or tools you want to brush up on — the things that make you sharper right now.
• On the slow side, write one or two areas you want to truly master — the ones that connect to the kind of professional you’re becoming.

When you’re done, look at your calendar. Set aside at least an hour a day this week for learning to explore one or two of the future-ready skills on your list. Take notes. Capture your insights.

At the end of the week, review what you’ve gathered and ask:

• What stuck with me?
• What is relevant to my next role?
• What could I reference in my next conversation or interview?

That reflection turns learning from motion into momentum... accelerating the path towards the future you.