Most high-performing professionals don’t struggle because they lack capability, intelligence, or resilience.
They struggle because they never slow down long enough to notice what their pace is quietly obscuring.
The PaceTrap is not about working too hard.
It is about mistaking motion for progress.
In many professions, pace is rewarded. Doctors move from patient to patient. Lawyers move from case to case. Founders move from problem to problem. Senior professionals move from decision to decision. The ability to keep things moving becomes a marker of competence.
Speed feels responsible.
Pausing feels risky.
And so pace becomes normalised.
From the outside, everything looks fine. Outcomes are delivered. Performance is maintained. Diaries stay full. It looks like momentum.
But this is where the trap begins.
The Mirage of Momentum
The PaceTrap links closely to what I describe as the mirage of momentum.
When you are moving quickly, it feels like you are moving forward. Activity creates reassurance. Decisions stack up. Problems are addressed. Fires are put out. The system keeps running.
But movement and progress are not the same thing.
Research from Harvard Business School shows that even brief, intentional reflection improves learning and performance. Those who pause to think do not lose momentum… they gain perspective. Without that pause, people tend to repeat familiar patterns rather than question whether they are still heading in the right direction.
At pace, the question subtly shifts from “Is this right?” to “What’s next?”
That shift is easy to miss… and costly over time.
Pace and the Avoidance of Discomfort
One of the least discussed consequences of pace is how effectively it shields people from discomfort.
Slowing down is uncomfortable.
Sitting with uncertainty is uncomfortable.
Questioning direction is uncomfortable.
Pace removes the need to do any of that.
There is always another task, another meeting, another decision that justifies staying in motion. In this way, pace becomes a coping mechanism, and not consciously, but culturally. It allows high achievers to remain effective while avoiding the friction that reflection brings.
Yet growth rarely comes from comfort.
Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable requires space. It requires pauses where questions are allowed to surface. Pace eliminates that space entirely.
You cannot notice the pace you are running at while sprinting.
Read more about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable here.
Speed, Attention, and Clarity
Speed has its place. Execution matters. Delivery matters.
But sustained pace changes how people think.
Psychological research shows that prolonged time pressure narrows attention. People rely more heavily on habit, default solutions, and prior experience. Thinking becomes efficient, but not expansive.
Related research into “attention residue” shows that when people move rapidly from task to task, part of their attention remains attached to what came before. Activity continues, but depth and clarity decline. It feels productive, yet thinking becomes fragmented.
This is how capable people lose clarity without noticing it.
Not through failure.
Through fluency.
The Quiet Cost of Pace
The real cost of the PaceTrap is not exhaustion.
It is misalignment.
Clarity about priorities fades.
Perspective narrows.
Opportunities for change go unnoticed.
Many high achievers reach a point where they are still successful, still capable, still moving, yet something feels off. Not wrong enough to stop, but not right enough to ignore.
That feeling is not a weakness.
It is information.
I often say:
“When you’re in the waves, you can’t see the coastline. That’s why a coach becomes the lighthouse.“
The PaceTrap keeps people permanently in the water.
Interrupting the PaceTrap
Escaping the PaceTrap does not require stopping altogether.
It requires interrupting pace deliberately.
The professionals who sustain performance over time are not the fastest movers. They are the most intentional interrupters of their own momentum.
They pause to reflect before accelerating.
They create space to think before committing.
They allow discomfort long enough to regain clarity.
Not because slowing down feels easy,
but because clarity depends on it.
Progress without direction is not progress at all.
It is just movement.
Where might your current pace be preventing you from seeing what really matters next?
References & Further Reading
- Gino, F. et al. Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Improves Performance, Harvard Business School
- Ordóñez, L. et al. Time Pressure, Performance, and Productivity, Annual Review of Psychology
- Leroy, S. Why Is It So Hard to Do My Work?, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
I’m Laurence Loxam – I’ve pushed limits in business, on mountains, and at the finish line.
Now I help elite professionals do the same, pushing past the point most people stop.
I coach CEOs, doctors, lawyers, and founders who’ve hit success, but still feel there’s more.
Together, we unlock clarity, sharpen confidence, and lead with conviction.
🔗 loxamconsultingltd.org
📩 Ready for your next leadership breakthrough? Let’s connect.
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