The Anatomy of Patience
What is patience
Delaying gratification is patience. Gratification can be for instant pleasure. Or for the urge to quit hard work
Continued persistence in the face of no or little progress or overwhelming odds is patience
Making a lot of progress only to see it all go down the drain for no mistake of yours, and rather than harbouring a victim mentality, starting all over again, is patience
Why is patience needed
All good things take time
All bad things take time too — so you can always correct, but the sooner the better
Both good things and bad things do not show any results for a long long time
Which is why people go on doing bad things thinking it’s not causing any harm, and people stop doing good things thinking it will never work
People should go on doing the right things for a long long time, sometimes for months & years before results are seen
Not all patience will lead to expected results. Be ok with that. You win some, you lose some. Move on, do something else. Keep doing, keep taking actions. That is the only way
People only lose when they stop trying. Patience helps us continue trying for as long as it takes. With enough time and some luck, the odds of success always increase
What happens when there is no patience
We make choices that are easy, bring us instant satisfaction but surely damage the future. Like drugs, alcohol, or anger
Or you move from goal to goal, without ever achieving something and eventually feeling absolutely frustrated
How do I know if I have, or don’t have, patience
What do you tell yourself when you don’t get something you so badly needed?
The instantaneous dialogue will always be negative.
What is the conversation when the initial emotions have subsided? If you tell yourself to carry on, if your self-talk is positive, you have patience.
How to increase patience
Know that all good things take time. Sometimes they don’t happen despite all the hard work, but knowing that nothing stops you from starting again
Break big goals into small, daily, perhaps hourly goals
Do things one day at a time
If you lose patience, start over again
Keep your self-talk positive. You are the only real supporter you will ever find, so be kind to yourself
Books you can read
Atomic Habits
Richer, Wiser, Happier
Also published at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/anatomy-patience-aakash-ahuja
