What Makes You Impatient?
What small things make you feel really impatient? For me, it’s being stuck behind slow walkers. I feel the rage build until I can pass, and then I forget all about it.
But think about situations where you have less control. Like deciding that you want to get a new job, or learning to play an instrument. What happens when you find yourself feeling impatient because you aren’t getting there as fast as you want to?
The thing about impatience is that it easily becomes an all-consuming uncomfortable feeling, and it will distract you from going after what you really want.
The Distraction from Impatience
You will start to focus more on getting away from the feeling of impatience than on the original goal. You might decide to put off the job hunt until September or gradually give up on learning the instrument because you don’t enjoy practicing anymore.
So how do you guard against this? NOT by trying to convince yourself to feel more patient. That works about as well as telling someone to relax.
Redirection
This is counter-intuitive, but the way to combat impatience is by slowing down your mind. This is the opposite of what our mind wants to do, which is RUSH and HURRY UP and maybe a little PANIC for good measure.
Learning to slow down your mind when you feel the impatience coming on, and checking in one thought at a time will allow you to calm down your nervous system and stay focused on what matters (and keep going).
Why it’s Worth It
Calming down your nervous system will enable you to stay curious and open-minded, which will result in greater clarity, and better decision-making, and you will be less likely to make errors. Furthermore. the panic of impatience literally blocks the part of the brain that allows us to be open-minded and curious, the tools you need to identify new opportunities or find shortcuts.
Learning to slow down your mind and direct your thoughts instead of prioritizing wanting to not feel the impatience will save you A LOT of time and energy in the long run.
Learning to manage your mind is one of the key components of the Kickstartology Align to Thrive program. We will give you the tools that will help you get out of your own way so that you can get to the good stuff faster, and with more ease.
If you’re feeling impatient about getting results and want to get them faster, let’s have a conversation for you to discover if coaching is the right fit for your needs. Schedule a free call here.
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