Succeeding via Sheer Determination... and the Value of Patience

Back in a distant past, I somehow ended up "accidentally" being President of the Homeowners Association for the condominium project where I was living.

I say "accidentally," because I was basically something like the "4th alternate" for the job, only to assume the role if-this-and-that-and-the-other came to pass.

The primary lesson I took away from my two-year stint "figurehead in charge" of that rather hapless organization was that most people in the world are exceptionally good at TALKING about all the things they want to do and achieve, but not nearly as good at actually stepping in and taking action... particularly in difficult and less-than-ideal situations.

As the saying goes: "Talk is cheap!"

When I worked in the IT industry, I soon developed a reputation for being "that guy" people could come to with practically impossible issues and projects... and I could typically make them work, through little more than sheer determination and effort.

It didn't take me more than a few years to quit that field... which pretty much represented the only period in my life when I held a "regular" job that could possibly be interpreted as leading to a career.

The reason I quit was less about not liking the work than it was about a culture that tended to be very long on planning and talking and pretty short on action and execution.

Maybe it's very old-fashioned of me, but any belief I have in my own abilities and likelihood of succeeding has always centered around my ability to grind it out with a great deal of doggedness and determination, rather than relying on talent or cleverness.

Even though I have often kidded around about being "lazy" and a bit of a "creative slacker," most of what I have created (and succeeded with) has typically been the result of continuing to plug away at something long after everyone else has quit and gone home. Or, perhaps, keeled over from sheer exhaustion and/or boredom.

Which was "Part B" of why I quit Korporate Amerika... lots of talk and no action... followed by the expectation of almost immediate results.

We do seem to live in a pretty impatient and "instant gratification" world... whether it relates to business gigs, building a business, establishing a social media presence or even building an entire career.

When I look back at most of my projects and micro-businesses I have taken on as a self-employed person, they have typically had in common that they did OK because I was willing to stick it out longer and with more determination than anyone else.

And there's a significant business (and LIFE) lesson there:

Most things don't actually fail because they are bad ideas or because they are mismanaged; they fail because their creators get impatient and quit before their ventures have had a sincere chance to succeed.

I've even applied that to my blogs and writing projects. Trust me, I have been told that something would be "relatively quick and easy" more times than I care to remember... and I never believe anyone who tells me that story!

I suppose some of the more "woo-woo" people in the world would probably insist that I am actually creating that reality, but to them I simple ask what it is I am creating.

As I said, in most cases I succeed, where many others fail. I totally do believe in my ability to succeed, just not in any song-and-dance routine about things being easy. And the two are definitely not the same!

I suppose what I hope to pass along here is that patience does, have value, even here in our ever-faster moving world. And don't quite before you've actually had a chance to succeed!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Friday!

How about you? Do you consider yourself a patient person? Do you have the ability to stay loyal and perseverant, long after others have given up? Do you think the ability to do so matters, anymore? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.04.26 00:51 PDT
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