How to be Patient When You Don't Want to Be

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At a mentorship session today, I found myself passing on the same advice that was given to me (repeatedly) when I was a new hire.
"Just be patient."
It reminds me of a more popular quote: 
"If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. 
If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change."
- John A. Simone, Sr.
We get antsy for any number of reasons: bad management, lack of challenging assignments, desire for promotion, slow sales return, etc. How do you stay grounded and keep pushing ahead in the positive direction?
  1. The bottom of the stock market has no where to go but up
    • The only advice for playing the stock market is "buy low, sell high" and not surprisingly this is very hard to do. Too many people get their emotions wrapped up fear and numbers. Take a deep breath and take that short term gain and stretch it out. When you consider long term goals or even mid-term goals, the daily "should I, shouldn't I" becomes less of a scary flash decision and more part of a bigger solid plan.
  2. The greener grass gets watered
    • Even if you are tempted to take matters into your own hands and move away to the greener grass on the other side, remember that you may be trading one evil for another. Is it really that bad? Is there anything you can personally do to affect your own crappy situation? Sometimes all it takes is a positive attitude and a smile, but others might take some late night hours, difficult conversations, or worse, the unknown. But how bad is that... really?
  3. Trust falls require more than one person
    • If you've ever done this exercise at summer camp, you know what I'm talking about. The reason trust falls work is because trust is 2 sided and a group activity. If you are unsure about team member's commitment, ASK! Just because your back is turned doesn't mean there aren't people behind you that are saying nice things about you. Silence does not have to mean a "calm before a storm" but if surprises aren't you're thing, be the initiator of communication.
I think that's enough cliches and bad similes for one blog post. :-) Share what your method is for maintaining composure! Fill in the blank: "To calm myself down and keep things going slowly but surely, I remind myself _______."


About Post Author

A consultant in the software sector, I love to write about the challenges and opportunities that I run across on a daily basis with clients, colleagues, and even friends. There's inspirational lessons to be applied to business practices everywhere!

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2 comments :

  1. UnknownOctober 19, 2012 at 11:40 AM

    To calm myself down and keep things going slowly but surely, I remind myself....

    That not many things in life are permanent. Some days are bad, some are good, and the best we can do some of these days is just look at things in a positive light and remember that this feeling of anger, frustration, or sadness WILL pass!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristaDecember 30, 2012 at 2:08 PM

      Totally - the proverb "This too shall pass" is a good one. Thanks!

      Delete

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