Fight Impatience By Keeping Your Expectations In Check

Patience is a virtue most of us could probably stand to work on. In our world of hustle and bustle, it’s hard to not grow impatient, but consistently managing our expectations can help in the long run.

Photo by Raymond Shobe

Think about the last time you grew impatient. Was it something you could change even if you wanted to? Garrick Saito at Quora suggests that in order for us to improve our patience, we have to lower our expectations to realistic levels:

Impatience is the gap which exists between expectation and reality. Close (or narrow) the gap and you’ll find your patience will increase. Sometimes you can narrow the gap by creating better outcomes, rather than lowering expectations… Other times, there is nothing you can do — like waiting in a traffic jam. Waiting “as fast as you can” or “trying to think your way out” won’t solve the problem. At times, we have to become more accepting of the things we cannot control.

Consider all of the things that you know make you impatient. What — if anything — can you do to make those things more efficient? If there’s nothing you can do, re-calibrate your expectations for that type of scenario and think about what you might be able to do help yourself maintain those expectations. If you are constantly impatient while waiting in traffic, perhaps you can leave earlier, or make the most of your time in your car, or take some time to realise how fortunate you are to even have a car and a job. Accept the reality of the situation and you’ll find a way to take it in stride.

How do I improve my patience? [Quora]