"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you
sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
The more impatient I am, the more awful it is. Wanting a project to be done because you're sick of working on it doesn't make it get finished any faster. You may push yourself to work a little longer and work a little harder, but it will be excruciating every step of the way.
I find writing is difficult for the impatient. (I mostly found out by being really impatient and getting frustrated). Some stuff simply has a timer on it. I can't explain it, but it's like certain ideas just will not be unveiled to you until you just sit at a road block for days. (Actually, I can explain it. Your mind is actively trying to come up with a good idea, but it's not telling you that until it has an answer for you.)
Life has gotten much easier and much happier when I started gaining patience. It mostly came from finding other things to do. If I can't work on one story, I'll work on a different project. If I get burned out on writing, I'll doodle or chat with a friend or take a walk. I can't recall the last time I only had one thing I wanted to do in a given moment. So if I get stuck on one, why get too bothered? Just do something else.
It is a lot easier said than done. I don't expect impatient people to magically will themselves into being patient, or simply in not getting frustrated by road blocks. But knowing that there is always an alternate route makes it feel like you are not getting stopped, but just taking the scenic route.
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I'd like to say thank you for this post. I am far too impatient and find it hard working through some projects.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know I'm not the only one.
It was my pleasure.
ReplyDeleteTruly, impatience is a double-edged sword. You can use it to cut down many a project (it's just that you can cut down yourself, too). I have mostly sheathed that sword, but sometimes I pull it out to get myself to work on the things I actually enjoy doing (like working on my creative endeavors).
And yes, you can trust that there is not a single thing that you are alone on. It may not always be me, but somebody somewhere will know that feeling. It is a wonderful thing to have that camaraderie (just make sure you don't use it as a crutch to justify things you don't like).