Slow Work
Robert Caro understands excellence can’t be rushed.
When he began writing the Power Broker, Caro initially believed that it would take him nine months to complete his account of Robert Moses’s ascent to power.
It ended up taking Caro seven years.
During that time, he ran out of money, sold his house, and had to lean on his wife to conduct research for him. The result of his meticulous efforts, though, resulted in a Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
How did Caro maintain his commitment to the project throughout the years? In simple terms: habits.
Every day, Caro put on a suit, walked to his small office in Columbus Circle, and engaged in the painstaking labour of reviewing his research. For Caro, this routine was a crucial reminder that, despite evidence of fast progress, this was work.
This was necessary, as his editor-publisher, Robert Gottlieb, trusted Caro that the results would be worth the wait.
“He’s never rushed me. Never. Not once. I miss my deadlines by years. I’ve missed some of my deadlines by decades. Not one single time has he said, ‘How is it coming, when are you going to deliver, any idea when we can get a look at it?’”
- Robert Caro
Since the Power Broker, Caro has written four books on Lyndon B. Johnson’s path to power, with the final book on hiatus due to the pandemic. These works have also led him to another Pulitzer Prize for Biography and thrice winning the National Book Critics Circle Award.
What can we learn from this? We must suppress our desire, especially in the age of social media, to publish work quickly merely to receive instant praise. Excellent work is a result of unglamorous, incremental progress. The product will, ultimately, speak for itself.
To lean more about Robert Caro and his impeccable work ethic, I recommend reading his autobiography, “Working".