Robin P. Zander

The day Devin died in my arms

When I was in college, my friend Devin died in my arms.

He didn’t actually die. But it certainly felt that way.

We were taking a nine day, 100 hour Wilderness Emergency Responder course in Portland, Oregon, and each of us took turns attempting rescues. Devin was the victim.

He was lodged in between two trees on a steep slope in the snow, and I was given three minutes to attempt to save his life. I was instructed to stabilize his spine, ensure his breathing, and move him to a safe location.

When I arrived on the scene, on a steep slope in wet snow, I panicked. Devin was an acting student. He struggled, then began to spam. Full of adrenaline, I attempted to pull him out from between two trees. He began frothing at the month and began to spasm.

By the time our wilderness survival teacher intervened, fifteen minutes had passed, I was crying, and Devin had “died.”

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast

There’s a phrase, coined by the Navy SEALs, that “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” When you slow down, you can operate more effectively. That results in fewer mistakes and better, faster outcomes.

When I first found Devin in the snow, I rushed in. Instead, had I taken an extra breath to assess the situation, I might have found a simpler, safer solution. It took our instructor showing me that I could have slid him downhill to realize my mistake which killed him.

Slow down to limit mistakes

Had I slowed down in those first pivotal moments with Devin, I might have been able to save him. Instead, I panicked because I had limited time and he was face down in the snow.

One moment of slowing down can make all the difference when it matters most.

Savoring

There are things you don’t want to do as quickly as possible:

  • Making love.
  • Eating a great meal.
  • Holding a baby.

But in the pursuit of speed, it is easy to forget the value of savoring an experience.

Chunking

When we slow down, we can perceive more.

Slow allows us to bring more attention, which allows for chunking – the process of grouping small pieces of information together into larger chunks.

Chunking allows us to process information more quickly.

Slow is forward momentum

Slow is usually considered negative. Slow is associated with laziness, procrastination, and lack of clear priorities.

Actually, though, when we are going slowly, we aren’t – by definition – stopped or blocked.

Going slowly requires action; forward momentum. It isn’t possible to both go slowly and be frozen or indecisive.

Speed

In business and in life, speed is a competitive advantage. In Silicon Valley, there’s talk of a 10X engineer – someone who can do the work of 10 other employees by building more effectively, finding shortcuts, and making fewer mistakes. I opened my old restaurant Robin’s Cafe in 3 weeks, which is largely considered impossible within the industry.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Being able to do more in less time makes you more effective.

But to this day, I get adrenaline coursing through my body when I remember Devin on that snowy hillside. Devin “died” in my arms because I was in a rush and panicked.

Speed does matter, but so too does slowing down, assessing, and engaging strategically.

I carry a picture of Devin in my medical kit to this day.

Until next week,
Robin

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