`Diesel`... slow starter

I don't know the 'slow starter' can be a correct English expression. Someone told me it could expressed as 'diesel'. Becauseit takesa little more time to heat up. However, when it does, it work with very a high level of energy and efficiency.Its meaning might be close to be slow in maturing. My husband has been always usingthis termwhen he tried to tease or even encourage me so far. According to him. I am far from an early adapter. I always have needed some time to adjust to a new environment and system. I partly agree with him. I think it is my congenital habit that never can be changed. Looking back my school days, my academic scores always had reached the peak level during the last grade. Now, it's already passed half of the year. However, I think something unexplainable is still needed to reach my performance level. Thinking of the past two weeks, it seemed to me a bad dream that I never want to remind, where I was falling and falling again,and I wanted desperately to wake up before hitting the ground. Even though my lovely (?) husband comforted me as saying that my time would come soon, I am notso sure ifit would be really true. Anyway, spending time with family during weekend always gives me a new energy to keep going.