In a previous article, I laid the foundation for effective goal-setting strategies. You have made a committed decision to reach a well-defined destination and you know to achieve your goal you need to cultivate self-discipline, persevere, be resilient, etc. But that’s not the end of the story. Since there is no guarantee you will reach your goal within the time assigned, you will need to adjust your action plans when failures and other contingencies strike. Herein lies the importance of patience.
Patience can help you to navigate defeats with a more positive attitude by increasing your enthusiasm to go the extra mile when boredom and panic set in. In other words, patience makes you more resilient and will enable you to embrace uncertainties and harness invaluable learning opportunities.
A lack of patience, on the other hand, will cause you to perceive failures as irreparable, pervasive, and permanent. After all, we are bombarded with marketing messages promising success within the least amount of time. These messages are usually misleading because they don’t reflect reality. Reaching a long-term goal is always a lengthy, slow, and tedious process. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk spent ten years working relentlessly on the Squid Game until it became a global success in 2021. Stan Lee published his first comic book hit only 22 years after starting writing at seventeen years old. I could write similar stories ceaselessly, but you get my point.
The universe operates on the principle of gradual growth, as evidenced by the growth of an infant, a puppy, or vegetation. It works equally for your goals. So, put in the work, be patient, and don’t get frustrated over your baby-step-like improvements. Everything worthwhile takes time. Earl Nightingale stated that “It takes longer to build a castle than a chicken coup.” Thus, cultivate patience and remember that cutting corners won’t take you to your desired destination faster.