Short On Patience

It took me six years to realize that my ability to make decisions quickly was not a character flaw. It is a a superpower. There are even names for it. On the Kolbe assessment, it is referred to as a quick start. In their book Failing Fast, Failing Often, Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz refer to it as failing fast. Once I accepted this and stopped trying to force myself to slow down, I found that I achieved so much more. I gave myself the freedom to fail without beating myself up every step of the way. I failed more but I also succeeded more. I embraced my fast forward motion and fell in love with the idea of being “that person.” That person who didn’t mind failure. That person who didn’t get bogged down in the what if’s. That person who got shit done.

A Practice In Patience

Unfortunately, I may have also allowed myself to embrace impatience.

This summer, an opportunity has come my way—an opportunity to buy a business. I started No Bullshit Marketing with a website and a business card less than 24 hours after my husband suggested I start my own business. Starting a business from nothing came naturally to me. I found it easy because making decisions has always come easy. Buying a business, on the other hand, does not come naturally. Buying a business means waiting on the other parties. It means waiting for bank loan approvals and attorneys and due diligence. Waiting has never come easily to me.

A month ago, I submitted my letter of intent. The agreement we made gives the other party 60 days to decide whether I am the right candidate. For the first week, I checked my email every ten minutes, answered every call in anticipation of an answer, and spent most of my waking hours hoping for word from the seller. Then a friend suggested I practice patience. She said, “They have 60 days. Assume they will take it. If it comes early, it is a bonus.”

For three weeks, I did this. For three weeks, I put it out of my mind. When people asked me for updates on the process, I coolly answered, “ They have 60 days to get back to me. I am not thinking about it until the 60 days is up.”

Losing My Patience

Then, yesterday, suddenly and without warning, I found myself antsy, anxious, and off-kilter. Worse, I found myself doubting it would happen. I found myself impatient, angry, and hopeless. Luckily, the same friend reached out and reminded me how perfect this opportunity is for me and how much it will mean to me when it comes through. She reminded me there are still three weeks to go, and while this transaction is important to me, it’s a small part of the other party’s life. They have hundreds of more important things on their plate right now, and they are taking advantage of the timeline.

This morning, I woke up feeling slightly better. Still impatient. But now I am looking at the wait as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to get my ducks in a row at No Bullshit Marketing so that I am completely prepared to incorporate the new business into my life. Today, I am reminding myself that super-heroes often have more than one super power. and that quick action is only one of mine. Maybe the other one can be seeing the big picture and accepting that things won’t always go as quickly as I want them to.

Being a business owner is a roller coaster. It is a constant up and down with a lot of side to side jerking thrown in for good measure. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love to learn and nothing has ever taught me as much about the world around and about the world I hold within.