In recent weeks I have been working really hard at being patient, as it is not one of my strengths. I have always been an extremely proactive person. In my world things happen super fast, which is brilliant as an executive because it means things get done at work an in my life. Just to give you an example, last time I moved house, 15 days passed from seeing the house for the first time to signing the deeds of purchase and moving in. I’m a pretty fast operator.
Having said that, I recognise and I’m aware that patience can actually be a beautiful thing to apply in your life too. Patience can bring us the time to reflect, make our work more polished and thought through. It can also help others catch up with our plans and were we are at.
Having always been super executive, fast and impatient, I now value patience a lot. I actively work to make sure that I’m not letting my nature run away with me. I try to be patient so that I can benefit from the good things it can bring.
On the other side of the spectrum, I have also come across a lot of situations and people when things just come to a halt. Some people are very patient, and not only patient, but they tilt into procrastination and things simply don´t get done.
So like everything in life, I think it is probably all about the balance between action and patience. When we don’t take action we can lose momentum, and momentum is really important in life. If we take too long to get things done, by the time we finish they may already be out of date. Sometimes we avoid making changes, taking difficult decisions and in my view that is not patience but simply avoidance.
I’m trying to find that balance. The balance between taking the time to take solid steps towards a specific goal and at the same time move fast enough to be effective. Taking the opportunity to strike whilst the iron is hot.
So ask yourself, how patient are you? Are you patient in the right way? You may be surprised with the answer.
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