When I first embarked on my journey as a digital writer here on Medium, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of advice and best practices to follow. Sound familiar?

As any aspiring writer can attest, there’s no shortage of guidance from those who’ve already achieved success. They tell you to keep practicing your writing, find your niche, format your stories correctly, read more, watch your spelling and grammar, develop your unique writing “voice,” submit to publications, follow and interact with fellow writers, tweak headlines, and lead with a hook… the list goes on and on. It’s a lot to take in.

The temptation to give up is real. Fortunately, an old saying came to mind that made me stick to my goal of becoming an online writer: Festina Lente. Before I explain this saying, let me share how I first encountered it.

Almost four decades ago, while studying English as a Second Language in Guildford, UK, I crossed a pedestrian bridge on my way to the university. The entrance columns on each side of this bridge bore a beautiful ornate inscription that read “Festina Lente.”

At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant, only guessing that it was in Latin. This was before the days of the internet, so I couldn’t just google the saying; I had to use the library. The saying “Festina Lente” loosely translates to “Make haste slowly” or “Hurry slowly.”

Initially, I thought it was an oxymoron or a joke. Only with time did I gain a deeper understanding of these ancient words of wisdom.

The Romans inherited this old adage from the Greeks, and it was one of the favorite sayings of Octavian Caesar Augustus. The emperor strongly disliked rashness in his military commanders. Later, the saying was adopted by the Medici, and the monk Erasmus wrote that this saying is so important that it should be inscribed on all building columns.

For the human brain, which likes to think in absolute, black-and-white terms, “Festina Lente” seems impossible. How is it possible to hurry and slow down at the same time?

Applied to real life, however, it’s all about finding the perfect balance between hurrying up and slowing down. This means that any activity we undertake should be carried out with a balance of urgency and diligence.

Applied to the goal of becoming an online writer, if I rush things too quickly, I’m more likely to make mistakes that sabotage my goals. It can also easily lead to feeling overwhelmed. Working slowly is OK, as long as I don’t stop completely.

I find that I do my best writing when I’m in a state of flow, fully engaged in what I’m doing. When I allow this to happen, I don’t get overwhelmed, and I’m not even aware of time passing by. It’s a good feeling.

A good allegory of the concept of Festina Lente is the fable about the tortoise and the hare. The hare is overconfident about winning and rushes ahead in the race. He becomes tired and falls asleep. Meanwhile, the tortoise progresses steadily toward the finish line.

I’m hoping that Festina Lente will become a favorite tool in your writer’s toolbox as it has in mine. Next time you feel overwhelmed or inclined to rush, remind yourself to “Make haste slowly.”

I’ll see you at the finish line!

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Happy writing!

Festina Lente: The Secret to Mastering the Art of Writing

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