We always want “better, faster and stronger”.
We don’t want to allow another year pass without the changes we pledged ourselves to: the movement forward, the change in pocketbook, in physique, or circumstances.
We begin their goals with passion but soon enough they will need patience.
Like a lot of you, I consume many books, ebooks, podcasts, newsletters, and evaporating smartphone “stories” that time and indolence permits. All of this content and creation is forged by a relatively small group of folks and that word I mentioned to you is the common denominator.
PATIENCE is grafted like an invisible and vital organ, for this ascendant brigade of the diligent, disciplined and determined, onto their hearts. There is a blinding radiation of tantalizing delectable bliss blazing all over the surface of the content they share, from their words, images, streams and voices, which we gobble up by the terabyte. This is only the afterglow however of a great deal of quietly invested time and effort, compressed and concentrated until success is ignited.
Along with PATIENCE to my reckoning are, such concepts as “LONG GAME”, “grit” and of greatest fascination for me lately “stacks” and “systems”. (It was in fact the notion of developing “stacks”, that most unique sandwich of our better-selves in action, and in “systems”, in habits (and processes to practice like daily secular devotionals) that inspired me to torture my keyboard and your eyes with a “Day’s Thoughts” every 6 days of 7 until some misfortune/ennui/instagram-model will stop/slow/marry me.) Most of the New Years’ resolutions that are about to be abandoned over the next 350+ days could be preserved, restoring enough of their pristine shiny ebullience with the application of just a touch more patience.
All of patience’s cousins could be lumped together, tucked inside all the promises you made to yourself (and whatever personal divinity you just bargained with) including: forbearance, resolve, resilience, persistence, and relentlessness. (Egotistical curation prevents me from including “hustle” and “grind” but did not prevent me from harassing you with my list of “cousins”.)
So keep hitting the gym, the walk, the classes, the meet-ups, meetings, coffee talks, hobbies you wanted to learn, places you wanted to see, people you wanted to meet/write/reach out to/get to know (short of restraining order), skills you needed to improve, content you downloaded and wanted to get around to. For me I include this year’s work/projects, notes, related content and opportunities, including this work-in-progress, Rooster360. You have your version of a list and you will apply a touch of patience like so much polish all over the exterior of your intentions, protecting it from the corrosion of discouragement & impatience.
Patience protects our plans.
Originally published at www.rooster360.com on January 7, 2017.