THE JOY OF SLOW CHANGE

Most people want success NOW! Or at least they want to

achieve their goals and enjoy the fruits of victory as soon
as possible. Wiser heads, however, understand that
sometimes change takes time.
We live in an "instant" culture. Life moves quickly and
everyone wants instant relief and immediate gratification.
We want to get ahead, make money, make the sale, lose the
weight, or take next year's vacation as soon as possible. I
sometimes think we move so fast that eventually we may even
get ahead of ourselves!
This week I talked with a potential client who fears life
has passed him by. He would like to open a business, make
some "major money and retire while I can still enjoy it."
He sees younger people passing him by and he wants a coach
because he "can't wait another year or two." He wants
financial success and he wants it "now." The man is 26
years old.
That call left me sad and even a bit confused. At more than
twice his age, I wondered if there was any future for me at
all!
Now, before we go too far down this path, let me affirm
that rapid success is a good thing. In fact, I'm all for
it! If you have a chance to make major advances, I suggest
you do so! Seize opportunity whenever you can! When there
are legal, ethical and legitimate ways to take giant steps
forward, you should go for it. Like "Duh!"
But in her wisdom, I think Mother Nature has something to
say about the more ordinary path to success. Healthy,
organic change usually happens slowly.
When plants or animals are taken out of their traditional
environment, most of the time they don't do well. Rapid
changes in climate, diet, or other environmental factors
are usually harmful. Our veterinarian even recommends that
we be careful about changing Cody's diet from one brand of
dog food to another so as not to upset his system. (This
for a dog that eats anything!)
Even kids who have dreamed of college can suffer home
sickness. People who have saved for years and eagerly
anticipated a visit to another culture can still be
disoriented by language or customs they didn't expect. We
know that people who "win the lottery" often experience a
myriad of problems adjusting to their new situation.
Rapid success is not always a good thing.
That's no reason to slow down! It is, however, a reason to
persist, to be wise, and to "keep on keeping on" if your
success is arriving slower than you would like.
It's a complicated thing. On the one hand, we want to be
quick and efficient. I love being a coach precisely because
it DOES bring success more quickly and more easily. At the
same time, too often we become impatient and easily
discouraged. Sometimes, I suspect nature and life are
teaching us vital lessons while we impatiently climbing the
ladder of success.
We all know that "over-night success" often takes 20 years
or longer. I encourage you to move forward as quickly as
you can, but also to accept that whatever is happening is
apparently the way it should be, at least for the moment.
If you can safely and legitimately speed up the process, go
for it! Learn new skills, get a coach, form a team, "make
it happen." But. "Patience is a virtue" and few of us have
mastered it. Sometimes "over-night success" takes time and
life can teach us important lessons along the way.
Persist. Work hard. Be patient. Never, never give up! Look
for a better, faster way, but in the meantime, trust that
life is unfolding as it should and that in time, you will
get there.