How to Move Fast (for Real)

You know what all that “move fast” advice out there really is? Fluff. Self-help gurus love to sell you on the idea that there’s a secret formula to speed, but here’s the truth: you move fast by moving fast. That’s it. No magic. No hacks. Just like learning anything else in life—practice makes perfect.

Tools Are Key

Let’s get one thing straight: tools exist to help you move faster. Whether it’s AI, Google, or the knowledge of the people around you, they are all tools. And the problem most people have? They aren’t using their tools, or worse, they haven’t evaluated whether those tools are actually helping them speed up.

Take AI, for example. It’s a massive time-saver, but only if you know how to make it work for you. If your toolset isn’t pushing you to work faster, then guess what? It’s time to find new tools. Test things out—experiment with tools constantly. It’s like this: you don’t just pick up one tool and stick with it forever. You try a lot of stuff, evaluate how it works, and adjust accordingly.

Always Prune

When you’re moving fast, there’s no room for clutter—whether that’s in your toolset, your processes, or your head. You need to prune everything regularly. It’s like keeping a clean workspace—get rid of anything that’s slowing you down. If you want to stay agile, prune your processes and prune your mind.

Evaluate how you communicate, how you work with others, and how you approach tasks. Ask yourself, “Is this actually helping me move faster?” If not, get rid of it.

Be Ready to Pivot

Moving fast doesn’t mean running headfirst into a wall—it means being nimble. You’re always ready to pivot because your systems and communication are smooth. When your team can talk openly and clearly, you can shift directions quickly without losing momentum. That’s how you avoid getting bogged down.

Another thing? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you don’t understand something, just say it. Get rid of the fear that comes with thinking you need to know everything. Nobody does. Moving fast is about taking risks, asking questions, and learning from the failures you encounter along the way.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Here’s the deal: you don’t learn how to move fast by watching from the sidelines. You get in the mix, get your hands dirty, and figure it out. Touch the process. See how it works. Actually use the tools yourself—don’t rely on theory, get practical. You can’t just observe something and expect to understand it.

So yeah, stop gearing up to move fast. Start doing the work. That’s how you figure out how to move quickly—by constantly being in the process, constantly adjusting, and constantly staying in motion.