How to Conquer What Stops Your Greatest Work
By: Jonas Ressem
Tags: Work, Patience, Life Lessons, Self, Psychology

Ever since I wrote my first article, my writing has improved. And especially so over the last few months. I’ve made some money and several of my articles have received curation.

^My best month of Partner Program Earnings

^Curation for one of my latest articles

It took me a while to get to this level, as I tend to get antsy and want to finish as fast as I can when something requires effort.

In the past, I’ve let this feeling take over me. And so many of my previous articles aren’t as great as they could be.

But just as my writing has improved, so has my patience (it’s a dual relationship between the two).

In the beginning of my career, I was so impatient I would write out all the words in my head and hit publish without thinking things through.

As my patience improved, I started to edit my articles. I would still write out all the words in my head without much thinking, but then I would take a moment to edit.

At the stage I’m at now, I do several edits, and I have my friends give me feedback on occasion. I also spend a lot more time thinking things through.

The next stage, I imagine, would be crossing a threshold into even better work. And although I have an idea of how to get there, I can feel my impatience gear up as it requires more effort.

But as I’ve learned, it’s a feeling that will always be there when trying to improve at something. It’s uncomfortable, yes, but so is never succeeding.

Doing Your Job Is Not Enough

I’m sure you have a lot of value to provide. But for some reason, it might not seem that way to others; you’re writing to blind eyes and speaking to deaf ears.

But without even realizing it, you might be at the brink of your very own breakthrough. You just need that extra spark of something to finally cross the threshold.

You’re good enough already. But your impatience stops you from being great.

You see, if you fail to be patient — to tolerate discomfort — you will move on to the next project before you’re finished.

You might convince yourself you’re done, as you don’t want to feel the discomfort. But you’re tricking yourself. You’ve done a job, but not your best job.

This is where the patient will win. They will tolerate discomfort and put in the extra effort. Consequently, they will produce greater work than you. While you’ll be stuck, a few inches from your breakthrough.

If you want to succeed, you must learn that your greatest work hinges on your patience.

Here’s 4 strategies to get more of it:

1. Delay Gratification with a Meaningful Goal

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Impatience is a short-term strategy. It’s focused on what happens in the here and now.

Patience, on the other hand, focuses on the long-term.

When you feel discomfort arise, it’s easy to think of ways to ease it. But if you want to be great, you have push through.

To do that, you first have to know why you’re putting yourself through this extra effort; you need to get clear on what you’re being patient for.

You need a long-term goal.

Research shows if a goal is meaningful enough — something that connects to your values and your highest sense of contribution — you’ll be likely to stick to it.

Thus, having a long-term meaningful goal will help you push through and do what needs to be done.

2. Reframe Your Thoughts in the Moment

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Researchers propose there are two systems involved in self-control and patience.

One is the ‘hot’ system — which operates on your emotions. The other one is the ‘cool’ system — which operates on your cognition.

The idea is that these systems counteract each other, which means if you activate your cognition, you will reduce your emotions.

When you’re being impatient, the hot system dominates. When you’re being patient, the cool one is in the lead. And the way to switch between them in the moment, is by reframing your thoughts.

Instead of thinking of how you feel — how painful or annoying the situation is — use your cognition to think of the objective aspects of the situation or the long-term goals you have. This will make you cool.

3. Get Real About the Consequences

Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash

When something challenges you in the moment, you have a choice. You can stay patient, which has uncomfortable consequences. Or you can give in to impatience, which is more rewarding.

You know impatience is the lesser choice, but often it’s the hardest one to choose.

If you want to make it easier, try to increase your awareness of the long-term consequences.

Because in the long-term, the negative consequences of impatience might outweigh the negative consequences of being patient in the present.

Imagine what your life would be like if you never learned patience. Your greatest work will never emerge. And you will remain a slave to your emotions.

Getting real will help you choose.

4. Embrace the Process

Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash

Coming back to what I stated at the beginning of this article: you can improve your patience as long as you want to.

It might take some time, but it’s worth it.

Learning patience, ironically enough, requires patience — patience for the long-term process.

Interestingly, research shows having a mindset that your work is an on-going process might help you stay patient.

Because if you start to see your work as infinite, it allows you to continue through the ups and downs, as you know there will be more to come.

Conclusion

As you might have noticed, the long-term is where patience roars:

You need a long-term meaningful goal.

You need to reframe your thoughts to the long-term.

You must see consequences in a long-term view.

You must embrace the long-term process.

If you conquer these things, you will conquer what stops your greatest work. You will end impatience.

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” — Samuel Johnson

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