“Pick your lane, go narrow and deep and master that. But really think about nothing short term.” – advice given by Warren Buffet 

The convenience of immediacy, whether the ability to shop and ship quickly, search and find with a click while on the internet or receive feedback/likes/loves/comments following a posting on our chosen social apps, paints the illusion to the untrained mind and being that what we seek, desire, or pursue, can indeed be acquired on a speedy time frame of our design and preference.

However, wise and learned persons, such as I would surmise definitely includes TSLL’s readers, know that while the illusion of immediacy appears true, it is in fact a false truth. With that said, because so much of the technology-based aspects of our lives runs on this immediacy time schedule – rapid, impatient and discomfited by waiting for a variety of reasons – if we don’t remind ourselves that patience will afford us a far more fulfilling and enriched life, we can fall prey to believing what we pursue should arrive or materialize quickly, and if it does not, we errantly step off the perfectly effective track we were on before our journey has had time to arrive at the destination or outcome we had set ourselves en route to reach.

One of the beneficial aspects of living a life of true contentment is that by designing our days, our everydays, to be consciously lived so that we hold ourselves in the present moment, we can rest assured that we have pointed our life journey in the direction that we decided upon with clarity but know it will take time regarding various aspects. As we let our life unfold, we savor our days and put to the back of our mind when we will arrive. After all, we know that the journey is not entirely in our control, but our presence, intention and engagement certainly is required.

As the new year began, and TSLL began to share posts and podcast episodes to provide inspiration and tips for reaching with success the intentions we have set. Today’s post acknowledges that what many of us have set as desired outcomes down the road may be outcomes that will require time, and thus patience, and so I wanted to provide the reminder that an investment in how we design our daily lives gives us an enjoyment of our life as it is at this very moment while we travel so that we don’t make rash decisions, we don’t throw up our hands in impatience or frustration and we don’t stop before we have barely begun.

I have written many posts on the topic of designing an everyday routine you love, so I encourage you to click and explore which one(s) speak to you. Because at the core of our success, to stay the course, or to use the words of Buffet shared above – pick a lane, go narrow, deep and master that – is being motivated to do so. And if we aren’t already enjoying our everydays or are not secure and grounded within ourselves, we will grasp anything that purports to make our life better, even if subconsciously we know it will only be temporary. Such temporary choices that could hinder our progress can appear in a variety of forms, something as small as reverting back to unhealthy eating and drinking habits or jumping into a relationship simply because we don’t want to be alone and in our own company.

“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” —Chinese proverb

Often the discomfort we feel as we head down the long road toward the outcome we seek is a test from the universe. At the moment we don’t think it is a temporary discomfort, but it assuredly is (remember the self-sabotage cycle?), and the more comfort and ease we currently have in both our contentedness in our daily routine and security in ourselves, the easier it is to not be taken off course.

The long game begins with knowing why we have set the intentions that we have, and trusting ourselves, the homework we did prior to making the decision, and then letting go and getting on with life. And the getting on with life is our everyday life. So it is in our best interest to ensure that the everyday life we have is a routine and an approach to life sprinkled with daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal rituals that we love living.

“One minute of patience, ten years of peace.” —Greek proverb

An example that springs to my mind as it pertains to cultivating an everyday routine while being patient is my intention to learn more proficiently (reach level B1 or B2) of the French language.

Reaching this level will not happen with one class or even a year’s worth of classes. Nope, I know I am going to have to stay on track for maybe three years with a determined effort to study on my own outside of class as well as be willing to make many mistakes while conversing in class. With that said, the ‘everyday routine’ that will help along this journey toward my desired outcome is to be enrolled in quality courses with instructors that not only know the content but engage the class, and I say yes to engaging and try, even when I am deeply frustrated.

Tending to the present with thoughtful intention provides adherence to the route that will lead us where we wish to arrive.

So by this point in the year, we have our intention, we are making gradual steady progress. Now we must make sure our everydays provide nourishment in a variety of ways (literally – food and proper nutrition, play and rest, a sense of productivity and contribution).

We don’t know how “long” our long game is for this particular aspect of our lives because we are not the only variable that will determine the outcome, but what we can control is how we travel, and staying present and engaged in our daily lives provides this ever so helpful key we may not have known we had with us all along.

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