I’m happy to do rush jobs, but I often wish I could take them more slowly.

More time always brings new angles, new ideas. For the client, that means more learning, more possibilities and more control. Time is power, you might say.

The longer you simmer it, the better it tastes. Chop the ingredients, turn down the heat and go and do something else. Your unconscious is on the case, and it will fling a great idea at you when you least expect it. At the very least, sleep on the problem for one night.

This is yet another argument against time-based charging. Your client doesn’t really want eight solid hours of frantic digging. They want the golden moments of clarity in between other stuff. They want your divided attention.

Two heads are better than one – but time is the next best thing. Going over your earlier work is like a conversation between your past and present selves.

In fact, it’s almost embarrassing how quickly you spot improvements when you go back to old work. But it shouldn’t really surprise you. The mind isn’t a machine; it can only work so fast.

So if it’s worth rushing through, maybe it’s worth taking slowly instead.