Patience is the hardest and most important thing for us to learn!
There you have it. I am going to repeat it. Patient is the hardest and most important thing for us to learn. Whether it’s training for a half marathon, inching closer to that next promotion at work, finding the one to spend your life with or saving up for a dream vacation we must all practice patience.
The first one I mentioned is the easiest to explain because of course getting your body ready to run 13 miles in a row takes some time to prepare for. However, I personally believe that if you put your mind to it and can consistently run 7 miles then you can run 13 because adrenaline and everything else will take over on race day. But if you can following a training program that really is the best place to start.
Promotions at work is the next thing I want to touch on. I hear it all the time that millennials, especially, are moving too fast. They want more responsibility, leadership roles, they think they should be running the place after one or two years of service. Honestly, I think these are great qualities because it shows that you care about the organization and the direction it is headed so one day you will be a great leader but there is a lot to learn before you are ready to drive.
Let’s break it down into numbers because I am very numbers driven. Once you graduate college at 22 and start working you have 40ish years to work until retirement. This is not meant to depress anyone so stick with me. That’s 4 decades to work and learn and set goals and go after them. So I think patience is important to make sure you will be the best possible leader you can be at the right time. Also year 2 out of 40 is such a small piece of the pie. Take advantage of the mentorship at your fingertips whether its internal to your company but I also encourage you to meet others outside the company and understand their experiences and how they would have done things differently to prepare you for all kinds of scenarios that you will no doubt be faced with.
I am currently reading Rachel Hollis’ Girl, Wash your Face and if you haven’t read it I think you should put it in your Amazon cart right away (link at the bottom). One chapter that I loved is “No is the final answer” where she discusses all the ways that the world will discourage you to give up on your goals and dreams. She says that some people will give up because it’s taking too long to achieve and then she says:
“Nothing that lasts is accomplished quickly. Nobody’s entire legacy is based on a single moment, but rather the collection of one’s experiences. If you’re lucky, your legacy will be a lifetime in the making.”
That is so true. Shouldn’t we want to continue to learn and grow and adapt to the world to make it a better place when we leave it than when we arrived? When I see people moving a little too fast I always encourage them to dump that momentum into hobbies. Find other areas to set goals in and crush them. These hobbies might unlock strengths that you did not recognize you could also put into your work or find a career that allows you to do what you love every single day.
I have often found that I am given more responsibility or opportunities because I show drive and ambition in areas other than just work. It’s playing sports and joining clubs in high school to be more well-rounded on college applications. Last year I traveled by myself, got my personal training certification because I love to learn and I love to workout, and participated in multiple Orangetheory events. I also set small goals for myself at work so that I am still growing, but I recognize how much there is for me to learn from an organizational and industry level before I might be ready for that next step. Trust in God’s timing. He has a plan for you and will be giving you the tools to fulfill your purpose when the time is right.
I mean that last part whole heartedly and I repeat it to myself often when I think about the next piece. Finding a true partner in life. This might take the most patience of any of them. I am 27 years old and nowhere near where I thought I would be at this point in my life. But in some ways I think that I am farther. I know myself way better than I did five years ago and it’s a blessing. I know what I want and am able to stand on my own two feet, pay my bills, plan vacations, and enjoy a night in to watch Harry Potter or read a book. I have more peace in my heart every day and I am so thankful for the things I have worked for and God has given me right now at this exact moment in my life. Find peace in your heart and date yourself for a bit if you feel like everyone you meet is the same. Explore new friend groups or join a new team to put yourself in a position to meet new people. You don’t have to move out of your city to meet new people, but if you feel like you want to move, do it. This is your life to create and I promise you that you will be taken care of and provided for wherever it is that your heart chooses to go.
I think patience is difficult for some of us because up until we graduate high school and even college we are all moving at the same speed. It’s when we graduate college and start the “real world” adult responsibilities that we will really compare ourselves to others. Stop it. Don’t do it. Remember God’s timing is perfect. There will be moments that your peers get married, promoted, finish graduate school, have children and a whole boat load of other things before or after you. We start moving at different paces and this causes us to crave what others have or want to get there first. I encourage you to slow down, take a breath and practice patience. Recognize what your true goals are and make a plan to accomplish them. Be happy for those around you, but focus solely on what it is that you want to accomplish.
Girl, Wash your Face: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Wash-Your-Face-Believing-ebook/dp/B072TMB75T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536600304&sr=8-1&keywords=girl%2C+wash+your+face
