You don’t see the results of good or bad habits in a short time.
This is what is pernicious.
Let’s take an example. If you eat poorly, you dig your grave with your teeth.
But why do we keep doing it?
Simply because bad news takes time to arrive…
The good message is that it also works for healthy habits in all areas. Energy, work, relationships, money…
And it can be learned. No matter what your current state is. No matter how bad your habits are. You always have the opportunity to change the situation.
The secret is to start tiny and have the patience and discipline to stick with it.
One sentence a day in a book can lead you gradually to one page, then 10, 20…And one exciting read can change your life in many areas.
Every day a little (discipline) is much easier than some days a lot.
Abstinence (discipline) is more manageable than moderation.
That’s why discipline and patience are a powerful combination. But how do you put them into practice?
Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash
7 Steps To Become More Patient
1. Begin With the End in Mind.
You recognized habit number 2 from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
And yes, it’s always more effective to understand what you want and why you want it.
Why do I want to eat healthier? For me, it’s because I want to enjoy my life better. But also because I want to be able to play and be active with my grandchildren.
Why do I want to start a business? Go beyond your first answer—the “5 times why technique” will help you find your real reasons.
Simplify the decision process.
Continuing with the example of eating well. It’s easier to decide to stop all processed foods than to start looking at the composition of each product.
2. Believe in yourself.
When you have your destination in mind, it will sometimes be challenging to connect where you are and where you want to be. This is what sometimes makes us lack patience.
So start small. One piece of fruit every morning is a good commencement. Discipline yourself, do it every day. Believe from the beginning that you can do it.
Change the way you see yourself. I’m healthy, so I make the right choices.
Day by day, you will improve your situation and it will become easier to eat more fruits and vegetables. With patience, you will start to feel the benefits on your body.
Reward yourself for these small steps. Each step brings you closer to your big picture.
3. Be aware of what triggers your impatience.
You are stuck in a traffic jam. You get angry, and you change lanes, you honk your horn, you take a new route that ultimately wastes more time. None of this will have helped you.
And yet you do it again at every traffic jam.
Identify these moments, the big ones and small ones. Codify a little note on your phone, a notebook…
- Impatience in my car/traffic jam
- Impatience with the kids/game
- Impatience with the results of project X at work
Take them back to your journal and write around them. What triggers them, how you might act differently. Look for the things you have an impact on.
You can’t decide if there is a traffic jam or not. But you can change your schedule, switch to remote work…
4. Break your unconscious routine.
You don’t wait for the end of the sentence. You know (or think you know) what your colleague means. This often ends badly.
Practice encrypting a different answer. Whenever I am about to interrupt my colleague, my wife or my children, I take a deep breath instead, listen carefully to the end, and write down what I want to say on a piece of paper.
This little break, which improves your patience, will help you see the situation from another angle. You will create better exchanges, strengthen your understanding and communication in general.
Good chess players learn to look for a better solution even when they already have a good one. Patience will help you find better solutions.
5. Even if you can afford it, learn to be patient.
You have the means, you can succumb to your last urge— iPhone 13. You have the iPhone 12. Don’t give in to your first impulse.
Put it on your shopping list. Wait 30 days. Do you want it that much?
Often your cravings disappear. It’s suitable for your budget. You can invest your money more responsibly and show an example to the people around you. Your family becomes less materialistic. And at the same time, you’ve tamed your patience muscle.
And it’s that same skill that will allow you to wait for the results of your new business without getting discouraged.
6. Wait before you respond.
You read your emails. 3 people are on the receiving end of a question. You think you know the answer. Wait!
Don’t launch into long prose that will take you 15 minutes (at least) and a chain of emails to manage.
And if you wait until the end of the day. What will happen?
Most of the minor problems you ignore will take care of themselves. One of the other two people will respond. The email chain will occur without you, and your colleagues will have shown initiative in handling the situation. You were not needed.
You have saved time, your colleagues have grown and you have developed your patience again.
7. Practice and measure yourself.
“If it cannot be measured, it cannot be managed” – Peter Drucker.
Dedicate one day a week to focus on patience.
You have dozens of opportunities to improve from the moment you get up to the moment you lay down. Focus on those shots.
And if you’re serious about that goal. Measure yourself. Your first instinct is to look for the latest app to measure this new habit.
Wait, wait…😀. Practice your patience.
It can be as simple as an excel table with a score from 1 to 3.
- 3: Good
- 2: In progress
- 1: To be improved
Conclusion.
In the end, we all know the solution. We just have to apply it. It’s easy on paper and so tricky in our real lives. But it’s because it’s hard that it’s interesting.
- Decide what you want.
- Start small
- Do it every day – Discipline
- Be patient
- Enjoy your new success.
I wish you a lot of success
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Related articles:
- 10 principles that helped me achieve my dreams…(And that could help you achieve yours). Part 1
- Part Two
- Take 100% responsibility: the first principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Clarity: focus on the horizon, not on our shoes. The second principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Courage: dare to commit to your dreams without knowing how to achieve them.
- We have all the time we need to make our dreams come true
PS: Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 more ways I can help you accelerate your growth through coaching:
- You are an individual: you have a penchant for action. You’ve achieved a lot. And yet you want more. Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
- You want to be coached in the workplace: I help successful leaders become even better. And you only pay me if you succeed (yes, I am serious). Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
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