Consistency and Patience Beat Intensity

A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, "I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it?"

The teacher replied, "Ten years." Impatiently, the student answered, "But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice ten or more hours every day if I have to. How long will it take then?"

The teacher thought for a moment and said, "20 years."

The mindset of "I want it faster, so I will work harder" has probably doomed more New Year's resolutions than any other.?

It's NOT mentally or physically sustainable. Success and improved performance require time and space for recovery, renewal, and reflection.?

Don't rush to failure.

One of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln is, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax."?

With all due respect to Abe, my approach would be to spend the first four hours looking for an expert and paying them to do it.

Take the Time to Get it Right the First Time.

Entrepreneurs who take shortcuts to accelerate growth are at high risk. You have to master the fundamentals and create the infrastructure to increase capacity. If you don't, you will continually pay the price of repeated mistakes, high stress, low morale, and disappointed customers.

One of my clients is in the business of developing software products for a specific market niche. He has discovered that it takes three years and many stages to go from inception to launch, and each step is critical to the process.?

He recently completed the pilot launch of his latest product and is now at the beginning stages of his next one. I asked him if he had more capital or resources could he launch the new product in two years or less. He said absolutely not. Each stage is essential to the next one and cannot be rushed.

The same principle applies if you have a shoulder replacement. The surgery takes less than a day, but don't plan on pitching or quarterbacking the following day. Healing requires time; it's that simple!?

One of my favorite stories that I've shared before in a Food for Thought post is of a father and daughter running late for work and school.

Finally, the daughter exclaims, "Daddy, if we don't slow down, we will never get there on time!"

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."?

- Lao Tzu

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