3 Things Everyone Knows About Waiting That You Don’t

Time it right or you will miss blueberry season.  Waiting for those plump, fresh, delicious purple jewels to reach full flavor.  I picked, ate and baked.  Who could wait?  Fresh blueberry muffins, right out of the oven.  Delicious.  Four hours later, a second blueberry muffin.  And you know what?  It was even was more delicious.  Who knew that waiting would make it better?  Waiting matters when you want maximum results.

Wine lovers know the perfect time to open up a bottle.  How long to let it breathe.  And they know exactly what to pair it with to make it even more delicious.

Deal makers wait for that precise moment in the negotiations to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.

Managers instinctively navigate team dynamics.  Knowing just when to push back.  When to build confidence.  What to explain.  Resulting in each person doing their best.  They use tools like my How Do You Annoy Your Co-workers Quiz.

So why am I so impatient?  Why do it I want it right when it comes out of the oven?  Why can’t I wait?

1.  I Know What I Want so Why Wait?

This gives me free reign to go get it.  I am the boss after all.  I’m in charge.  I can get what I want.  I’ve earned it.

2.  I Assume I will Get Results.

It will work out.  Competency trumps negativity.  The plan will come together.  If it goes sideways I can handle it.  Haven’t I been through worst before?  I will make sure it works.  Remember the famous line from the original TV series the Odd Couple?  When you assume you make an ass out of you and me.

3.  There Aren’t Enough Hours in the Day.

Seriously.  Sometimes I don’t want to have to wait.  I just want to get on with it.  Cross it off my list.  Put it in a file.  Stick it in a draw.  Get it done so I can move onto something else.

What’s Next:

Even a bad blueberry muffin is a pretty good thing.   I can make it better by learning to hone my timing.  Striving to get the full flavor, the full intent and the full experience of the muffin.  I won’t assume hot out of the oven is always better.  In the immortal words of Tom Petty…the waiting is the hardest part.