"If you're sick of starting all over, stop leaving and you'd arrive." - unknown
We are a digital generation used to real-time responses; promises of quick and easy solutions; and exposed to the possibility of making it big and successful by age 30 - Forbes make it a point to remind us annually yet another 30 made it.
Waiting is an increasingly frustrating and seemingly irrelevant game that few are willing to play in today's competitive world.
Impatience prompts you to give up prematurely
Each time we embark on a goal, we wish we could fast-forward time (yup, that's the only time we wish time could go faster) and reach our destination already.
We expect to get our desired results fast. Otherwise, we start worrying if we're lagging behind. And very often we're comparing our beginning with someone else's middle and thinking, we need to close up the gap between them and us and since we're already behind, we need to hasten our progress. By and large, that's not going to happen. But we think that it is an indication that our ideas won't work and all our time and effort before were just futile attempts --- we get disappointed and give up before the time is up. We go on to look for something else that promises even faster results. And when it again fails to deliver the desired results fast enough, we quickly jump on to another one.
When we finally pause to look back, we see plenty of half-done projects and not a single achievement to show. We start to doubt ourselves and feel like a failure, and the thought of having to start all over again overwhelms us.
If we had stayed the course and gave it just a little more time, success could just be waiting for us round the next corner.
Impatience makes you believe that you are late
You feel like you are running behind life's schedule. Other people have reached theirs on time but here you are...still exploring/ slogging/ trying. Your finish line is not even in sight, and you imagine that people on the outside are watching you either with pity or scorn. You feel anxious and antsy...why aren't you at the finish line yet? Will you ever?
Impatience makes people spend before they earn and get themselves wrapped in bad credit because they can't wait to enjoy the things they want; turn to quick-fix mood drug when they can't wait to experience the euphoria of being on top of the world.
Anything worthwhile takes forever
This is not a permission for you to take it easy. Neither is it an advice to stubbornly hang onto a hopeless project. But this --- worthy goals can take a pretty darn long time.
Have a sense of urgency to do what it takes for your dream to become a reality but know when you need to have the patience to let time work its magic.
"Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years." - Bill Gates
Go for delayed gratification
Resist the temptation for a quick-fix, the low-hanging fruit, and the easy way out because easy targets usually get small prizes.
Delayed gratification is multiple times more gratifying and enduring than instant gratification.
When your time comes, thank yourself for having waited.
