How often do you rush to get something done, only to find out a day later that you have to fix it? It wasn’t correct or complete because you were in a hurry.

Take some time to look at the situation. Had you spent an extra 15 minutes on the project, it may have been a different story. The time you spend up front is usually much less than what it takes to fix it later.

On his website, slowdownFAST,  David B. Bohl describes how to slow down, in life, at work, anywhere you feel rushed. Slowing down, he says, increases creativity and productivity, and who couldn’t use more of those? Take a closer look at your work, think about it more, connect with the wholeness of the project. Take your mind off the clock and focus on turning out a great piece of work.

I’m not saying you should spend all day slowing down—a little goes a long way. You’ll be surprised how much more you see when you look at printouts for 15 minutes instead of five. And you’ll feel better physically, too. Its the equivalent of taking a deep breath to calm your nerves.

Next time you’re on a tight deadline and rushing to get things done, try slowing it down. You may find that it makes a better end product with more thought, more creativity, and no mistakes. You’ll probably also find your sanity intact, since you don’t have to redo the project or handle it yet another time. And you’ll have more time on your hands to spend on slowing down your next project.