Growing Patience for What We Want in Life
I have a hard time being patient. There I said it.
In fairness I wouldn’t call myself impatient but I do generally get really annoyed when things are moving so slowly or seem to be having challenges in making progress. It’s not that I want to hurry to the finish line, well alright sometimes it is, but it’s also a matter of making sure it goes smoothly along the way too. The crux is I struggle with things that change in my strategy or that alter the course of where I thought I was going. Once I’ve made up my mind of how I want to do something and start doing that I’m full steam ahead. If something changes in that then I get a little frustrated and impatient. This is just a part of who I am and something I’ve had to work on for a very long time. As I’ve built my own business I’ve had to take a hard look at this though and actually develop some skills in managing what it means to grow in patience.
The biggest shift I’ve had to make in my business is in my mindset. Unlike most businesses where we work 9 to 5 there is not a group of leaders to turn when things start going wrong or sales drop. There is not a committee to go figure out problems or offer recommendations on how to do things better. On the flip side there is also not lots of layers to go get something approved. In almost all the cases, it is just me. There isn’t anyone else to delegate a task or go fix something. That can be a lot of pressure and a lot of stress. As much as we want to think this is easy or anyone can do it, we don’t always have the right skills to deal with these types of problems. When you’ve spent only a couple hundred bucks to start your business through a direct sales product company this is where you really start to question the return on your investment of time and additional money to figure out problems that are preventing your business from growing. It is exactly where we start to separate the hobbyist from the entrepreneur.
Unfortunately, that split intersection is where we have encountered the most negativity when it comes to direct sales based businesses too. This opportunity was presented as an easy and inexpensive venture that would return large sums of money and give us the life we dream. In reality, it is every bit as hard work as starting a boutique on Main Street where you’ve invested thousands of dollars to turn on that open sign. Most of us are not prepared for that realization.
We believe in the dream someone convinced us is possible and handed over our credit card. While the dream is possible there is a long road between here and now and that dream result. There are also many normal business frustrations, challenges and complications along the way too. It is usually not easy or quick and most days doesn’t resemble a dream at all. We can become extremely frustrated and impatient with this misguided aspects we started with in our business and that will quickly lead us to drop it all. Seeing past all of that to get down to thinking about this opportunity as a real business takes some adjustment.
When I think about all that I have learned since starting Dragonspit Apothecary and all that is still in front of me to get this business where I want it , I sigh heavily. It is so much work, time, sweat equity and more. It is a true test of my skills in business, head for problem solving and stretch of creativity. It is also a challenge to my patience. In this journey I can honestly say when you love something and believe in it so deeply you will find that motivation to continue pressing on even when things seem hopeless. Oh the times I have questioned myself if this was all really worth it.
If you own a small business or have ever been in one I know you can relate to that feeling.