Last updated on June 3rd, 2012 at 10:05 pm
I’d like my dreams to come true right now please.
I am acutely aware that impatience does nothing to make things happen faster, or to our liking. Ever been impatient in traffic? It seems to slow everything down doesn’t it?
Ever pick up a magazine in the supermarket isle to read an article featured on the cover, only to have the check-out line move like there is suddenly a fire in the store, because you stopped caring about the outcome?
This is how the universe works. Impatience gets you nowhere. This is especially true when you are working on your big dream.
“The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
Dream achievement takes about 10,000 hours of focused and determined practice. I takes 10,000 hours to discover your passion, and become proficient. 10,000 hours gives you time to fall on your face a few times — and enough time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over again.
But once you decide we want a dream, you want it right now — don’t you?
This impatience is then usually followed by a phase of overestimating the ability, commitment, and environment of those who are already successful at what you dream of doing, while underestimating your own.
Then you give up on your dream before you’ve even begun.
But what if you start your dream accepting that it will take 10,000 hours? If you’re not willing to push for your dream through at least 10,000 hours of preparation then you should quit dreaming right this minute. If you don’t value your dream enough to work on it until you succeed, then you shouldn’t go after it. Dreaming brings with it disappointments and times you will want to quit, but your ultimate success will not be based on your ability to avoid defeat, but in your ability to push through the disappointments until you’ve spent the 10,000+ hours working on your dream.
If you remain steadfast, if you put in the 10,000 hours, dream achievement will be yours for the celebrating.
But only you can determine if your willing to do it.
“What you do for a living is not be creative, what you do is ship,” says bestselling author Seth Godin, arguing that we must quiet our fearful “lizard brains” to avoid sabotaging projects just before we finally finish them. (Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain — Vimeo)
Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain from 99% on Vimeo.
Come back and check on me in 10,000 hours. I’ll be here.
Catherine
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Catherine Hughes is an accomplished magazine columnist, content creator, and published writer with a background as an award-winning mom blogger. She partners with companies to create captivating web content and social media stories and writes compelling human interest pieces for both small and large print publications. Her writing, which celebrates the resilience and achievements of Northern California’s residents, is featured in several magazines. Beyond her professional life, Catherine is passionate about motherhood, her son, close friendships, rugby, and her love for animals.
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