Patience: The Other Four-Letter Word
You know that feeling, don’t you? It’s the one where you’ve spent your whole life hearing things like “you just have to be patient,” and it still makes you want to scream. I’m right there with you. I don’t just want to know the next turn to take; I want to know the whole route right now. Recently for me, it was waiting for a business to take off after years of hard work. It could also be waiting for a child to find their way back home, for a financial break, or for a clear career direction. That feeling of “why doesn’t anything change?” is overwhelming.
It’s easy to forget that this could be a period of preparation when you’re in the middle of it and it feels like it’s been an eternity. We live in a world that values action, speed, and immediate results, so it’s no wonder why “patience” feels like the other four-letter word. During a recent struggle of my own when circumstances finally began to shift, and in a conversation with two other coaches, I began to wonder: what if I was looking at this whole “waiting” thing the wrong way? What if this wasn’t a season of inaction, but a period of deliberate preparation?
I started thinking back over the past several years of ups and downs, and my mind fixated on this thought: a great athlete doesn’t just show up to the championship game. They spend months, even years, in training. They build strength, hone their skills, and study their opponents. The public only sees the win, but the athlete knows the victory was born in the quiet, painstaking moments of preparation when it didn’t feel very much like winning at all.
What if your current season of waiting is your chance to train, building the mental, emotional, and practical “muscles” you’ll need for the next chapter? I know it was for me.
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, or where you aren’t yet, shift your energy to the things you can control. Here are a few ways that helped me turn my season of waiting into a season of preparation:
- Learning Something New. Is there a skill that will be useful in your future role or life phase? You can take an online course, read books on the topic, or find a mentor. The knowledge you gain now could be the key to your future success.
- Practicing Self-Reflection. This waiting period is a powerful time to get to know yourself better. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your true values and priorities? Journaling or working with a coach can help you uncover insights that will serve you well when the time comes to act. And “yes,” even coaches need coaches. I actually had three!
- Strengthening Your Network. Connect with people in your field or people who are where you want to be. Not only can they offer valuable advice, but they can also be part of your support system when you’re ready to make a move. This isn’t about what they can do for you; it’s about building genuine relationships.
- Serving Others. When you are consumed by your own waiting, it can feel like you are the only one facing a struggle. Serving as a volunteer at a church, a food pantry, a youth program, or in another capacity shifts your focus outward. It allows you to find purpose not by focusing on what’s in it for you, but on what you can do to help someone else. This simple act of service can be a powerful antidote to a feeling of powerlessness.
The truth is, you and I may never know the full map. Life is about navigating one step at a time. But when we reframe “waiting” as “preparing,” we can find a sense of contentment and gratitude, transforming a period of frustration into a time of incredible growth. We are not stuck. We are not on pause. We are getting ready. And that is a powerful place to be.
