It is hard to achieve goals. Every time I start working towards some new goal I am quickly reminded how long it actually takes to make meaningful progress. I find myself setting different time frames to try and accomplish a goal I always seem to over estimate the rate that I can actually get stuff done in. It makes it hard to feel like progress is being made when I try and hit goals that are not directly in my control.
Part of my problem is that I switch which goals I am pursuing every few months based on what feels like the right goal to currently pursue. This has resulted in me making good progress on many of my different goals but leaves me with not a whole lot to show for it. No matter how frustrating it can be to not have any external indicators of success for my goals I know after reflection that I have made awesome progress towards my goals and improving my processes.
At this point the clear conclusion for me is that patience is success. No goal worth chasing is going to come easily and every goal accomplished just raises the bar as to what is possible for you to achieve. Even without the external success I know that just chipping away at my goals and staying true to what is important to me that I will eventually have undeniable proof of my ability. Even though it is admittedly hard at times to press on without the external validation I have gotten to the point that I generally feel really good about taking steps forward even when I am the only one aware of the progress that is being made.
Focusing on what is in my control incrementing my processes forward helps me feel at peace with the process. Being patient for things to come together is foundational for success. Rushing your goals along just results in avoidable mistakes and will ultimately end up hindering you. Even without the external success to back up my claims here, the only logical conclusion is that those who have experienced success achieved it through patience. Having the patience to press on even when things feel pointless at times. Being patient with the process to continue to refine it and work towards the results that you intend to be getting.
Success is not defined by one external result. No author of a best selling book achieved that result over night but after many writing sessions culminating into the book. No champion fighters skill has come from a single fight but from many uneventful training sessions. Success is having the patience to do the consistent actions that build up towards your intended result. Yes some people see some level of success come from a single action but that is not the norm and cannot be relied upon for the vast majority of us.
Learning how to be patient while pursuing something is the very thing that will allow you to achieve success. This is the approach that I have settled on and I will either eventually achieve some level of success from my extracurricular pursuits or I will at least enjoy the journey of getting better.
Let me know below if you feel similarly about success and what it is you are working towards. Follow my blog for email updates on when new posts go live!