Delayed gratification….anyone out there actually love it? I definitely don’t. I think it is very important, and character building and all the things. But if I’m honest, I am not a very patient person. Thanks to 2020 and COVID-19, my patience, and tolerance for plans changing, has grown substantially. Still though, I’d rather have it now, but since that’s just not how it works…I offer the following thoughts on waiting.
I know, with everything in me, that what I am doing today, is building my life in the future. If I am investing in my health and fitness, I will see a return on that. If I am not, I will have to live in the consequences of not making that a priority. If I am treating my relationships as a priority, I will see the benefits of that. I will see growth in that area. If I am not treating people as a priority, I will live in the consequences of that.
The point is, it’s not instant. We make choices everyday. Sometimes we even think we get away with bad behavior, but at some point, those consequences are going to manifest. We have to invest our time and energy into the things we want to see a harvest in. It’s truly the only way to see growth.
Saying I want to be healthy, while watching tv and eating cookies, isn’t going to get me there. Eating healthy for one day and exercising isn’t going to get me there either. I have to invest over and over into the behavior. Relationships don’t live or die by the large gestures. You can’t large gesture your way out of years of bad behavior. Our relationships are built daily. Our daily interactions with our people are what make the most impact. We have to get in, do the work, and prioritize what is truly important.
If an area of your life is not producing fruit in the manner you would like it to, can I encourage you to evaluate your daily choices? Where are you making a thoughtless choice, when you could make a more thoughtful one? What’s one bad eating habit you could eliminate? What’s one area you could invest a little more time in? Can you squeeze 20 minutes of reading into your lunch break? Can you workout first thing in the morning? Can you set aside 30 minutes at the end of the day to have a meaningful conversation with someone? The daily building blocks are what produce the change friends. Do the work and you will reap the benefits. Not necessarily today, but patience and consistency will get you there. Much love sweet friends.
