Helping You To Succeed

My older brother loves mangoes. I remember one summer night as a child, I woke up and he was standing outside in the rain, waiting for a mango to fall off the tree. It was too high for him to climb; too far to reach with our short rod, and he had been eyeing it for days in anticipation. His only option was to wait for it to fall while hoping the birds did not get to it before that happened. He did not want to miss the opportunity to get his hands on that glorious fruit. So, wait he did.

Patience is bitter, but its fruit fruit is sweet.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Waiting for something; being patient is a good thing. You can see it in simple daily tasks, where the ability to focus on completing something, instead of multitasking, brings so much satisfaction. Good things, take time. I am by nature someone that tries to do too much. And I am always rushing to get everything done on time. I know it; I admit it. And this constant demand on my energy and focus can lead to frustrations.

I have been teaching myself to schedule my days better, to slow down, to focus on one task at a time and get things done. I reevaluate my plan, check the schedule, and figure out where I have gone off course, and get myself back on track. Good things, take time. It is a sort of self-discipline that I am learning, and it has helped. By the end of the week, my list is usually completed as planned.

Was my brother being impatient or was he being proactive? I am not sure. But he did eventually get that mango and it is a lesson I always consider when frustrations start getting the better of me. Focus on the task at hand, switch off the distractions. You will feel better for having completed that one task to an exceptional level, rather than completing nothing at all. Good things are worth the wait.