Master This One Trait To Get What You Want In Life
It can mean the difference between success and failure
Success is something we all crave in endless quantities. As a society we have been trained to look for a reward in everything we do. If we work hard, we want a bonus. If we spend more time with our kids, we wish to be revered as great parents. If we practice our Spanish, we can go live in a coastal town in Spain. If we go to the gym, we will look and feel fabulous.
Put simply, success is merely the result of something we work towards — an accomplishment or achievement we strongly desire. But the path to success is often lined with trials and tribulations far from the linear path we would hope for. We often view ourselves or our endeavours as failures. Usually because we give up or don’t stick through.
So then how can we find the resilience and stamina we need to achieve our wildest dreams? To actually get what we want?
The simple answer: we need to learn to be more patient.
Patience is a personality trait as well as a learned skill defined by Google as, “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”
Patience is a virtue, though often times we believe it to be a genetic disposition and that some of us are simply more patient than others, but the reality is that we all can learn to be more patient by adjusting the expectations we have of our daily lives. Unfortunately, society hasn’t exactly helped us hone on our skills to delay gratification. From the rise of on demand services, where everything is at your door tomorrow and exactly how you want it, to cushy corporate jobs that offer lucrative benefits and compensation to new grads with no experience.
However, some of the most successful entrepreneurs and personalities of our time will often tell you of their crazy stories in their relentless pursuit to succeed. Whether that be landing a role in Hollywood to creating an empire worth billions — there is no clear path to achieve these milestones. As such, by being patient you can readjust your mindset to work towards being more present and thoughtful.
Here are 3 strategies you can employ today to become a little more patient in your pursuit of success.
Set Small Daily Goals
By setting small daily goals, you can build the discipline required to achieve your long term dreams. Each of these goals may not have any visible reward but overtime they compound to help you achieve whatever you desire. They set you on course to the longer term version of you, which you can only get to by focusing on the now — the journey. By learning to practice completing tasks on a daily basis, which may not show any visible results, we learn to be more patient.
“Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.” — Adolph Monod
Commit
Commitment is an excellent method to develop your patience. One who commits sticks to something regardless of outcome over a period of time. This may be the daily dedication towards your goals or being there for a friend in need. Someone with unrelenting commitment does not focus on the results, which in turn means they are practicing their patience. They don’t view giving up as an option, which ensures their success.
Delay Gratification
We are used to getting whatever we need when we want it — from purchasing a new laptop to upgrading our wardrobe. Instead, try to time gratification with the completion of a goal. For example, you may want to achieve a work related goal before purchasing a laptop — this could be a new client or a contract. Practising delayed gratification changes your perspective on how you reward yourself.
Being more patient and being more present can be synonymous with each other. In either case, you’re not in a rush to achieve something. You’re simply learning to focus on the task at hand instead of waiting to get a result. Deliberate, focused effort will always yield long term success. By being more patient, you’ll build the stamina required to defy the odds, face every challenge and overcome failure. Patience gives you the power to focus on getting what you want from your life, instead of getting what you want right now.
