WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS ARE TAKING TOO LONG
I am chronically impatient and love to control things. There, I said it.
It does not sit well with me when any given thing, or sometimes seemingly ALL the things, in my life (professional or otherwise) aren’t moving as quickly as I think they should, or I haven’t reached where I think I should be.
When that happens, I then tend to feel a little paralyzed and then to procrastinate - go figure.
With all of this in mind, I recently revisited the podcast episode called “Seasons” by Rob Bell, in which he talks about the time in between one thing or season and another, i.e., the “liminal space.”
To us impatient ones, that can be a scary place, but Rob Bell says the liminal space is where magic can happen.
Specifically, he says, it’s in “that liminal space things open up in us that could only open up in us if we were in enough discomfort/if we felt the sting of unknowing. It’s uncertainty that pokes and prods us and creates all these new and interesting things in us.”
He’s likening the liminal space not to being stuck in between, or waiting, but to being in front of a blank canvas.
It’s a helpful lesson in how to thrive in uncertainty or when things are ambiguous or haven’t yet arrived.
Some other ways to do that:
Take stock of how far you’ve come. I was a different person, and definitely a different businesswoman, even two or three years ago.
While you’re waiting on a big win, find rewards (i.e., the dopamine hits we’re all craving) in other ways. THIS episode of the Powerhouse Women podcast really speaks to that!
Work on your faith muscle - that is, being certain that everything that is meant for you is heading toward you, even if you can’t see it yet.
Caveat: learn the difference between when to push and when to let go and let things happen and flow. I’ve said many times before that pushing, control, and grinding are not a long-term strategy for success.
If you’re NOT certain, you certainly can pivot. The most self-aware and grounded people I know understand that evolving in a new direction takes courage (goodbye, comfort zone), but can yield huge rewards, not to mention heaps of confidence.
Photo caption: The flower featured in this post is actually called “Impatiens".” Gotta love nature for always having the answers.