Patience Is A Virtue

Practicing Flexibility

This past week was a blur. So much has happened, and I apologize for the late post. But this is part of the journey. I used to be so hard on myself about missing the mark or deadline, but there is a greater lesson to experience: being patient with yourself. There are a lot of changes that I want to implement in my life: exercising consistently, eating healthier, being more efficient with my time and balancing work with loved ones and myself.

Plans are great to set up for yourself, but how do you plan for a sudden meeting or late morning? The opportunities to practice flexibility are everywhere: at work, at home and personally. It can seem taxing at times, but for me, I enjoy the challenge. I can decide how I react. I can control what I do, think and say. It is not to say that I will not mistakes. I make them often. But it is from learning from these mistakes in different situations that I can better prepare myself for what is to come.

Making Time

Time is fleeting. We are either with time or against it. And I still struggle to make time for everything. It has already been several weeks since I have tried to sleep early and exercise at least a couple of times a week. But this past week, these challenges were resolved, when I decided to actively to make time for exercise, relationships, anything. If I miss a workout in the morning, there would still be time later. I just had to make sure that I go it done.

I soon realized that every little bit is enough. Our plans may have us scheduled for an hour of activity, only to have it shaved down in half. Take that. Do not let anything go to waste. Flexibility of the body and the mind plays a big role in success. The idea that all your work and effort, no matter how small, will build up to something.

Working in Intervals

My choice of exercise is high-intensity interval training. It is different from other forms of exercise that I am used to, such as playing sports or going for walks. It consists of spikes of activity, then rest and activity again. I have grown to internalize this method in practicing flexibility in my life. There are times of intensity: at work, exercising, and planning, followed by moments of rest with my family or with myself. Life is like high-intensity interval training. At a moment, you can be hurled into a situation where you need to be awake and aware.

It is tiring thinking this way. The intervals of activity seem to get longer while rest can feel sparse. But like an athlete training for a race, building up stamina and endurance can only be achieved through practice.

It not only takes strength, mentally and physically, to reach our goals, but most importantly patience. When the timer ticks down when completing an intense interval, our form for a plank may not be perfect at first. But the more we train, the more we give to strive for perfection, the closer we get. We may not be perfect at our first business call or leading a design project. But how will we know where we are if we do not try? Once you have tried, you learn where you lack. To have patience as we build up ourselves and our careers is the true test. Will you go the distance? ■