SOME THINGS TAKE TIME and require patience, perseverance and adherence to process before progress is made. Yes, I’m probably yelling. Expectations of immediate results for any and everything have reached the absurd. This is detrimental to progress in many areas.
I understand that words have lost much of their meaning. Literally is used to mean things that aren’t literal. Makeupless can mean wearing bright red lipstick. It can be effortful and difficult to sift, sort, and absorb enough information to get a plan together. Why not opt for whatever proposed solution promises immediate results?
Taking the easy sounding option is a choice that’s frequently made and sometimes works for the long-term. But more often, the fast, easy, effortless solution means having to start over again and again when it turns out not to be the panacea we’d hoped.
If we invest too much in the solution of the moment, we may not be able to let it go, even when it’s not working or leaves us with painful side effects. This is how many of us end up trudging down a path that does not benefit us.
Whether we’re setting work goals, life goals, or health goals, a more successful approach is to develop or summon the patience required to pursue a well-researched, well-developed, long-term plan and the perseverance to stick to it. We still may not find success, but we’ll stand a better chance of making lasting progress. We’ll also have the opportunity to benefit from the process.
Every step we take, every failure we endure, every push past fear offers us a chance to learn, ground, and breathe into new levels of understanding and confidence. When success comes without difficulty, it has less significance.
And removing difficulty doesn’t prepare us for hard times that will ultimately appear. We need adversity to develop resilience and build courage.
Taking focus off the destination and placing it on the process will get you through a lot of tough things. It may also be more productive than rushing. I have seen this over and over in my life.
Process is somewhat like working a jigsaw puzzle. Placement reveals itself slowly with each piece building on the last until the whole picture takes shape. Beginning with edge pieces creates both limiters and structure. And looking at a difficult puzzle too long in one sitting can blind you to the next move. Slow, methodical effort with breaks may bring a faster solution than rushing.
Patience doesn’t mean no action or movement forward. Perseverance doesn’t take extra-human fortitude. Progress is incremental and sometimes looks like a zigzag line with dips as well as peaks.
The bottom line is that it’s impossible to avoid the trying seasons of life. We all experience them and sometimes there’s no magic pill, quick solution, or hero to rescue us. We simply have to strap in, be patient, take one step at a time, and persevere.
