My car informs me that I’ve been averaging twenty-six miles per hour over the last month. Much lower than I would have guessed.

It’s low not because I don’t drive on the highway. It’s low because there’s also a lot of time spent sitting still in traffic and at lights.

When we remember our journey and our work, the highlights are the fast parts, the thrilling moments, the peaks (and the valleys). It seems, though, that we spend most of our time in preparation or circling or considering. Probably worth investing some effort into our performance there and enjoying those parts as well.

Seth Godin has written thirteen books that have been translated into more than thirty languages. Every one has been a bestseller. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership, and most of all, changing everything.

*Photo by jordhiebert.