Chapter 14

Patience and Consistency

When I was young, immediate gratification was not the norm. If you desired something expensive, you often had to save for it. You waited for letters. You waited for telephone calls. You waited for holidays and events. Waiting did not necessarily diminish these things; often, it enhanced them.

Look, I know how it is: you want everything done yesterday. You’re always on the go and onto the next thing, and waiting around feels like a waste of time. You’ve grown up in a world where answers are a click away, movies stream instantly, and you can get just about anything delivered to your door in a few hours. It’s completely shaped the way you look at things, expecting quick results and fast answers. But I want you to remember that the best things in life—building a career, forming deep relationships, or mastering a skill—don’t have a fastforward button. True success takes time, and learning to sit tight and work through the slow parts is going to be your biggest competitive advantage.

The modern world increasingly teaches that wanting something and having it should occur almost simultaneously. Resist that idea. The ability to desire something without immediately satisfying that urge is a form of discipline. Save before you buy. Think before you act. Work before you expect reward. Allow anticipation to exist. Some of life’s most worthwhile things cannot be hurried: knowledge, trust, reputation, financial security, expertise, a thriving business, a strong relationship, and raising children. A meaningful life cannot be conjured up in the blink of an eye.

Generally speaking, five to ten years might be enough time to transform an extraordinary amount about your life. But there are conditions. You must know what you want. You must aim at it. You must work towards it consistently. And you must be prepared to continue long after the initial excitement has disappeared. Most people dramatically overestimate what they can accomplish in a few weeks and underestimate what they can build through several years of consistent effort. Take a small step every day. Show up. Especially when you don’t feel like showing up. Consistency is one of the least glamorous and most powerful forces in life.

The Long Game

Play the long game in life. Lives are rarely built by one dramatic moment; they are built through repeated, ordinary decisions. Small decisions become habits. Habits shape character. Character influences future decisions, and those decisions, repeated over years, become a life. Do not worry too much about appearing successful today. Build something that remains successful tomorrow.

Take a long look at the horizon, because the ground right beneath your feet is always going to shift. It is easy to get caught up in the sprint of youth—wanting the quick win, the immediate praise, and the fast reward. But the things in this life that truly endure are built with patience. Playing the long game means understanding that a single bad day, or even a bad year, is just one brief chapter in a very long book.