How being patient makes you more successful and healthier
5 practical tips to become more patient and step up your game
‘Patience is a virtue’ does this sound familiar? While it’s accepted as an universal truth and often stated, it’s controversial where this phrase comes from or when it first appeared. But did you ever pause to wonder what it means?
Patience describes the ability to wait for something without becoming frustrated and is seen as a valuable character trait. Referring to it as a virtue suggests how admirable this quality is and that it's reserved only for those mastering their impulses, which is not an easy task.
Resisting our triggers and instincts is hard work and something we all struggle with from time to time. I’m pretty sure you will agree with me on that 😉 Being patient undoubtedly requires a certain amount of self-control. Which is a lot to ask when you are in a hurry or have the feeling that your counterpart is slowing you down and not efficient at all. I have been there, believe me.
Master your temper to succeed in life
If you are blessed with patience you are doing yourself some good. Being in control of your unconscious emotions means you are in general less stressed. You are used to dealing with life as it comes. It comes naturally to you to be in the moment and to live in the here and now. Mastering your temper allows you to only focus your energy on important things in life, things that let you grow and move towards your goals.
If you, on the other hand, are a stressed and impatient fellow human you are more likely to hold on to awkward situations. You easily freak-out about how unfair life is or how something did not turn out as planned or how things are just too slow. Does this sound familiar? Being in that destructive mood it’s easy to obsess over something and lose track of what it is all about. But honestly, what’s the point? There is none! Except being angry and frustrated.
Take your faith into your own hands
Here are 5 practical tips to stop obsessing and to redirect your energy.
The good news is patience is a skill that can be trained.
1) Step by step
I’m sure you’ve heard that ‘Rome was not built in a day’. Important work takes time especially if it’s a genuine work of quality. Break your goal down into smaller sub-goals. Take little steps towards your goal. Not everything has to happen immediately and right now. Plan your success in a reasonable span. You’ll see ‘step by step’ appears much more manageable and won’t overwhelm you.
2) What is it really about?
Are you really angry because you are kept waiting? Or does your impatience come from another source? Did something else trigger your anger? Reflect on how your impatience is affecting you. Think about how you are feeling and how you are reacting. Ask yourself if it’s worth it.
3) Accept your impatience
Sometimes being eager is just part of the game. It’s a part of your character and who you are. There is nothing you can do about it so make your peace. What you can do though is to decide how you are going to react to your mood and temper.
4) Keep yourself busy
None likes waiting or wasting valuable time. Instead of getting angry about delays thank the universe for this new ‘you time’. I’m sure there are a thousand things you wanted to do but didn’t find the right time to do so. Congratulations, you got it now. Why don’t you use unplanned waiting times to listen to your favorite podcast, to sort your thoughts, to do some brainstorming, to write down new ideas, to read a book or simply to listen to your favorite playlist … or any of the other thousand things.
5) Allow for some extra time
To remain your wonderful, calm self it helps to plan some extra time for daily tasks. Traffic, for example, is a common source for anger, impatience and aggressive behavior. Who would have thought 😉 To avoid all that unnecessary hassle simply schedule a buffer and leave 15 minutes earlier. Or plan your work deadline two days later than actually expected. Your wonderful, calm self will thank you.
… and if nothing is going to work, go and cuddle an alpaca <3