Patience

Patience is a virtue, they say. In business, however, it’s a necessity. Below are some thoughts and ideas to help you slowdown and take that extra moment before committing to a decision.

1. Macro patience, micro speed

This phrase above, coined by Mr Gary Vaynerchuck, does what it says on the tin. In the macro or long-term you have to have a clear vision, something you accept is going to take a considerable amount of time to complete. This could be a 10-year vision or your life’s work, whatever it is, accept it isn’t going to happen tomorrow and let go of any frustration you may have felt.

Instead, focus on what you can do in the micro, or day-to-day, to help you achieve that vision. Whether that’s networking, setting up systems or processes or smashing your social media game, be sure to set daily tasks and quick wins to maintain your momentum.

2. People have their own agendas

Be empathetic that people have their own life and therefore their own agendas.

It doesn’t always revolve around you or your business. If people don’t respond to your email immediately, that’s fine. It maybe you’re not top of their to do list. Sometimes more important things come up.

Understand empathy and make sure it’s one of the key skills you practice daily.

3. Doing it ‘fast’ isn’t always the right thing to do

I am king of ignoring the above statement. However, my reasoning is that by making fast decisions, you may make mistakes, but as long as you learn from those mistakes, the decision will be proved correct.

This however, is not always the right thing to do. Especially when it comes to the quality of building finishes, health and safety or any situation where there is a risk of injury or to life, to name a few examples. Being patient and ensuring that you arrive at the correct decision will save you tons of time in the long run.

4. Sleep on it

Decisions aren’t made while you sleep but your subconscious is amazing at figuring out problems. Pausing and giving yourself a chance to reflect on a big decision or problem will not hurt in the macro.

A good example of this is sending that snotty email to a colleague or partner when you know you are in the ‘right’. Don’t do it. It never ends well. Instead practice your empathy. Maybe they had a bad day…By all means write the email, we all need to vent. Just don’t send it.

5. What’s the rush?

Your business journey is exactly that, a journey. The destination maybe what you’re aimed at but you have to love and appreciate the process of getting there. If you spend your time rushing and don’t take a moment to stop and reflect you’ll just end up frustrated that it’s taking too long.

What are you going to do when you get there anyway?

The irony is that I, like most hot-headed 20 something’s am not the most patient person in the world as my wife and SYZO co-founder will attest. I have written this as a reminder mostly for myself however, if my wife is reading this, Jono wrote it…

:)

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by 340,876+ people.

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