The Simple Habit That Compounds Speed

Today at a Glance

• Most meetings default to "discuss now, execute later"—a habit from school
• Same-day follow-ups shift projects from "future work" to "happening now"
• Tight timelines force breakthrough thinking (like JFK's moon shot)
• Speed compounds into a lasting competitive advantage
• Information-gathering is usually disguised procrastination

Picture this: You're wrapping up a meeting. Everyone's nodding about next steps. Someone asks, "When should we reconnect to discuss progress?"

The room defaults to the standard response: "Let's connect next week."

But what if you said something different?

What if you simply replied: "Let's get started now" or "Let's speak again at 3 PM today"?

This one habit—the same-day follow-up—might be the most underutilized speed advantage in business. And when done consistently, it doesn't just accelerate individual projects. It fundamentally rewires how your entire team operates.

‍

The School-to-Work Habit Trap

Here's why most people default to delayed follow-ups: We're conditioned by the academic system.

In school, the pattern was predictable:

• Discuss concepts in class
• Get assigned homework
• Complete it weeks later
• Turn it in for evaluation

This "discuss now, execute later" mentality follows us into our professional lives. We have meetings about what needs to get done, then plan to "circle back" to actually do it.

But high-agency operators break this pattern entirely.

‍

The Psychology of Immediate Action

When you suggest reconvening the same day, something powerful happens in the room:

The project transforms from "something we'll work on" to "something we're doing right now."

Most people will agree without hesitation. Why? Because you've shifted the frame from future planning to present execution. The mental energy is already activated. The context is fresh. The momentum is there.

Frank Slootman, former CEO of Snowflake, captures this perfectly in his book Amp It Up when he writes about the importance of raising expectations and increasing urgency throughout an organization. He argues that most companies have considerable room to improve performance simply by stepping up the pace and intensity of execution.

‍

Historical Proof: The Moon Shot Effect

The power of compressed timelines isn't just theory—it's how humanity achieves breakthrough results.

When JFK announced in 1961 that America would put a man on the moon "before this decade is out," he wasn't just setting a goal. He was forcing an entire industry to think from fresh principles.

The impossibly tight timeline meant NASA couldn't rely on incremental improvements. They had to:

• Question every assumption
• Invent new solutions from scratch
• Eliminate all bureaucratic delays
• Focus on what truly mattered

The constraint created the breakthrough.

The same principle applies to your daily meetings. When you compress the follow-up timeline from "next week" to "this afternoon," you force everyone to think differently about execution.

‍

Your Playbook for Making This Habit Automatic:

When discussions wind down and someone suggests a future follow-up, try these responses:

• "Let's see how much we can get done right now."
• "How about we reconvene at 3 PM today?"
• "Before we leave today, let's a minimum get the first step done."

Try 3-5 Hours At Most

Suggest follow-ups 3-5 hours from the current time. This gives people enough time to:

• Process the initial discussion
• Gather any immediate resources
• Complete quick preparatory work

But it's not so far out that momentum dies or competing priorities take over.

Start Small, Build the Habit

Begin with low-stakes projects where same-day follow-up feels natural:

• Quick decisions that don't require extensive research
• Simple next steps that can be completed in under an hour
• Updates on existing projects where momentum already exists

‍

The Compound Effect of Speed

Here's what happens when you make same-day follow-up your default:

Week 1: You surprise people with your pace. Projects that normally take weeks get resolved in days.

Month 1: Your team starts anticipating faster execution. They come to meetings more prepared, knowing decisions will happen quickly.

Quarter 1: You've established a reputation for getting things done. People bring better opportunities to you because they know you won't let them stagnate.

Year 1: Speed has become your competitive advantage. You're accomplishing 2-3x more than peers who operate on traditional timelines.

‍

Your Action Plan

This week, practice the same-day follow-up in meetings about important initiatives:

1. Listen for the "when should we reconnect?" moment

2. Respond with a same-day option

3. Watch how the energy in the room shifts

4. Notice how much faster projects move forward

5. Track the compound effect over 30 days

Bottom Line: People expect delays. When you consistently eliminate them, you don't just move faster—you change how everyone around you thinks about what's possible.

It all starts with one simple statement at the end of your next meeting.