Ode to Patience

“Just give it a little more time — have patience.”

“You should try again.”

“Why don’t you wait and see what happens.”

Most of us never want to hear things like this when we’re trying to accomplish something. Instead of gradually building an online audience, we want to put one video on TikTok and have it go viral. Instead of steadily dropping 1-2 pounds a week by cutting back, we want to take a pill so we can show off our 6-pack by next Thursday. Instead of putting a little aside with each paycheck, we want to win the Powerball.

And it’s understandable not want to wait — or work — for the things we want.

But the obvious fault in that strategy is that life rarely if ever works out that way. And wanting to push the easy button isn’t exactly a problem — unless all you do keep pushing it and pushing it instead of starting to do the thing that will almost undoubtedly work to achieve your goal … over time.

It’s when we don’t sign up for our 401(k) because we’re sure at some point we’ll come up with a way to get rich quick. And barring a medical condition, changing one’s diet and exercising will  work for losing weight; it just takes time. And you can use any number of online calculators to predict precisely how much money you’ll have at retirement, IF you start now.

We often eschew the sure thing that requires nothing but patience and follow-through only to end up losing precious time searching for a shortcut. What if you made whatever changes you know would have helped you build a nest egg or lose your love handles 1, 2, 3 or 5 years ago? Imagine where you’d be now.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking the path of least resistance — as long as you lace up your walking shoes and start taking the long road to your destination in the meantime.