The Importance of Patience

One of the requirements for success is patience. In order to achieve our goals and succeed we need patience. I know too well the importance of patience. I need to exercise patience when I am preparing project proposals for submission to potential clients. I know that there are no shortcuts to success and that while I would be happy if my project proposal is selected by potential client all the time I also know that they sometimes prefer my competitor’s proposal. If my proposal falls short of the client’s expectations I cannot give up I have to start looking for my next opportunity. I also have to exercise patience when I am searching for my next assignment or when I am between contracts. I have to exercise patience during periods of low cashflows. For me patience is one of the most important requirements for success.

There are four key benefits of patience which I will share with you today.

Patience builds our reputations

In order to achieving our goals and success we have to work assiduously to improving the skills we need to succeed. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers suggested that 10,000 hours is required to master or become proficient at the skills required to succeed. Most us are not patient enough to invest 10,000 hours required to develop the skills we need to succeed. We are driven more by impatience rather than by the virtue of patience. I know that I show signs of impatience at times when things are not going as planned. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Building your reputation by honing the skills you need to succeed requires patience.

Patience Makes You Awesome 

In my blog titled “3 Tips to be Awesome!” I shared with you the importance of always being prepared, the importance of having an awesome team as well as the benefits of genuinely care about others. When you are awesome you will reap the remarkable benefits of your patience. Success is not accomplished overnight as it requires time and patience. In order to be awesome and successful you have to work diligently and patiently at each task that is required to achieving your goals. You have to be focused and dedicated. I have had some truly remarkable results in my career and the experience of feeling awesome. For example, I will never forget the delightful look on the faces the regulators in Zagreb, Croatia after they had reviewed the compliance framework designed by my team. Patience makes you awesome!

Patience leads to your Siren moment

Last week in my blog titled “Six Sexy Steps to Seductive Sirens” I spoke about how to create your moment to be noticed and get recognized. The reward for the virtue of patience is when you get recognized. This is when you have successfully created your Siren moment and you are awesome. One of the rewards for me is the referrals I get to other potential clients or funding agencies. Since I started Mark McKenzie Consulting in 2006 I have had the opportunity to work in more than twenty countries. I have also met and worked with truly amazing people in the Caribbean and parts of Africa.

As you work patiently to create your Siren moment you will be rewarded with greater sales, new customers or promotions at work and other career opportunities. You should note that whatever the result or reward is for you this is the fruits of your patience and hard work. Success begins with creating your Siren moment and an understanding the importance of patience.

Patience is your one of your most valuable attributes

Patience is not easy to come by especially when dealing with setbacks, challenges and even temporary defeats. Patience is one of your most valuable attributes and a formidable resource. As an entrepreneur I am always looking for a competitive advantage and ways to distinguish myself. Very often I have had clients said to me that I am always so calm under extreme circumstances. They tell me they admire my level of patience when dealing with complex issues and stressful situations. I try my best to process and analyse each situation on its own merits. I try to ensure that my decisions are based upon sound principles rather than reacting with emotions and making knee-jerk decisions. 

The best way to cultivate patience is to train your mind. To be successful, we need to start small. If at first you don’t succeed, be patient and try again. Learn from your mistakes, take baby steps and progress slowly. As Carl Jung noted “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.”

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.