Zack Sent Me This E-Mail:
Most people want success NOW! Or at least they want to achieve their goals and enjoy the fruits of victory as soon as possible. Wiser heads, however, understand that sometimes change takes time.
We live in an "instant" culture. Life moves quickly and everyone wants instant relief and immediate gratification. We want to get ahead, make money, make the sale, lose the weight, or take next year's vacation as soon as possible. I sometimes think we move so fast that eventually we may even get ahead of ourselves!
This week I talked with a potential client who fears life has passed him by. He would like to open a business, make some "major money and retire while I can still enjoy it." He sees younger people passing him by and he wants a coach because he "can't wait another year or two." He wants financial success and he wants it "now." The man is 26 years old.
That call left me sad and even a bit confused. At more than twice his age, I wondered if there was any future for me at all!
Now, before we go too far down this path, let me affirm that rapid success is a good thing. In fact, I'm all for it! If you have a chance to make major advances, I suggest you do so! Seize opportunity whenever you can! When there are legal, ethical and legitimate ways to take giant steps forward, you should go for it. Like "Duh!"
But in her wisdom, I think Mother Nature has something to say about the more ordinary path to success. Healthy, organic change usually happens slowly.
When plants or animals are taken out of their traditional environment, most of the time they don't do well. Rapid changes in climate, diet, or other environmental factors are usually harmful. Our veterinarian even recommends that we be careful about changing Cody's diet from one brand of dog food to another so as not to upset his system. (This for a dog that eats anything!)
Even kids who have dreamed of college can suffer home sickness. People who have saved for years and eagerly anticipated a visit to another culture can still be disoriented by language or customs they didn't expect. We know that people who "win the lottery" often experience a myriad of problems adjusting to their new situation.
Rapid success is not always a good thing.
That's no reason to slow down! It is, however, a reason to persist, to be wise, and to "keep on keeping on" if your success is arriving slower than you would like.
It's a complicated thing. On the one hand, we want to be quick and efficient. I love being a coach precisely because it DOES bring success more quickly and more easily. At the same time, too often we become impatient and easily discouraged. Sometimes, I suspect nature and life are teaching us vital lessons while we impatiently climbing the ladder of success.
We all know that "over-night success" often takes 20 years or longer. I encourage you to move forward as quickly as you can, but also to accept that whatever is happening is apparently the way it should be, at least for the moment. If you can safely and legitimately speed up the process, go for it! Learn new skills, get a coach, form a team, "make it happen." But. "Patience is a virtue" and few of us have mastered it. Sometimes "over-night success" takes time and life can teach us important lessons along the way.
Persist. Work hard. Be patient. Never, never give up! Look for a better, faster way, but in the meantime, trust that life is unfolding as it should and that in time, you will get there. "Inch by inch, anything's a cinch."
Most people want success NOW! Or at least they want to achieve their goals and enjoy the fruits of victory as soon as possible. Wiser heads, however, understand that sometimes change takes time.
We live in an "instant" culture. Life moves quickly and everyone wants instant relief and immediate gratification. We want to get ahead, make money, make the sale, lose the weight, or take next year's vacation as soon as possible. I sometimes think we move so fast that eventually we may even get ahead of ourselves!
This week I talked with a potential client who fears life has passed him by. He would like to open a business, make some "major money and retire while I can still enjoy it." He sees younger people passing him by and he wants a coach because he "can't wait another year or two." He wants financial success and he wants it "now." The man is 26 years old.
That call left me sad and even a bit confused. At more than twice his age, I wondered if there was any future for me at all!
Now, before we go too far down this path, let me affirm that rapid success is a good thing. In fact, I'm all for it! If you have a chance to make major advances, I suggest you do so! Seize opportunity whenever you can! When there are legal, ethical and legitimate ways to take giant steps forward, you should go for it. Like "Duh!"
But in her wisdom, I think Mother Nature has something to say about the more ordinary path to success. Healthy, organic change usually happens slowly.
When plants or animals are taken out of their traditional environment, most of the time they don't do well. Rapid changes in climate, diet, or other environmental factors are usually harmful. Our veterinarian even recommends that we be careful about changing Cody's diet from one brand of dog food to another so as not to upset his system. (This for a dog that eats anything!)
Even kids who have dreamed of college can suffer home sickness. People who have saved for years and eagerly anticipated a visit to another culture can still be disoriented by language or customs they didn't expect. We know that people who "win the lottery" often experience a myriad of problems adjusting to their new situation.
Rapid success is not always a good thing.
That's no reason to slow down! It is, however, a reason to persist, to be wise, and to "keep on keeping on" if your success is arriving slower than you would like.
It's a complicated thing. On the one hand, we want to be quick and efficient. I love being a coach precisely because it DOES bring success more quickly and more easily. At the same time, too often we become impatient and easily discouraged. Sometimes, I suspect nature and life are teaching us vital lessons while we impatiently climbing the ladder of success.
We all know that "over-night success" often takes 20 years or longer. I encourage you to move forward as quickly as you can, but also to accept that whatever is happening is apparently the way it should be, at least for the moment. If you can safely and legitimately speed up the process, go for it! Learn new skills, get a coach, form a team, "make it happen." But. "Patience is a virtue" and few of us have mastered it. Sometimes "over-night success" takes time and life can teach us important lessons along the way.
Persist. Work hard. Be patient. Never, never give up! Look for a better, faster way, but in the meantime, trust that life is unfolding as it should and that in time, you will get there. "Inch by inch, anything's a cinch."
Found in many lakes and ponds, ducks are a common site the world over. Known for their famous quack, ducks tend to congregate in flocks or go off on their own in pairs. As a duck, you may seem friendly at times but will not hesitate to bite if someone is bothering you. Your love for travel and preference for being in crowds are some reasons why you are a duck.
