[WORD OF THE WEEK] Patience

Waiting is sooo boring. Waiting at the queue in a store or an institution. Waiting to come across your perfect mate in life. Waiting for a good opportunity. Waiting for your skills to be recognized and appreciated by your boss. Waiting for your deserved promotion. Waiting for the summer...

… Waiting for your eggs to boil. Well, they won’t get boiled faster when you’re staring at them. The summer won’t come in February. Your boss may not even know your name, neither anything about your special skills. We live our lives waiting.

NOTE: Waiting is a verb, but it’s not an action

„Good things happen to those who wait“, you hear all the time.

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. It depends. Sometimes it’s just not about waiting, we have to take action. Another we are so tired of waiting we throw it away and leave the chance of getting the best. Like when you marry someone who is ok although not your greatest love. Or like leaving the project because the results seem so far away or impossible to get.

BAD ADVICE: Learn to be patient

Count slowly. Breathe deep. Recognize your bad feelings. Analyze them. Sing mantras. Manage your emotions. Embrace the waiting, enjoy it, be patient!

That’s the essence of the best advice about becoming more patient. And they make me even more nervous!
I hate waiting. I hate being patient. So here’s a cure that works wonderful for me:

TRY THIS: Distraction

You can use it multi-purposely. Have to wait? In the meantime do something else. For example, read while you’re on the bus stop. Plan your day while you’re in the traffic jam. Find a nice hobby for the time between job interviews. Focus on the details of your work while waiting for the big result.

Just move your focus from that stupid question: „When, oh, when?“