When attempting to make personal change, it is essential to be patient with yourself. This is not to say it is unimportant to hold yourself accountable for the commitments you’ve made. But the lag time between introducing a new practice and the outcomes we desire is not measured in days or weeks. Change, especially lasting change, takes time. Being patient with yourself means to expect setbacks, to acknowledge small wins, and to understand that the difference we desire rarely materializes all at once.
Surrendering to old habits and norms usually happens too quickly, and sometimes, just before we are about to succeed. Our commitment to making a change is reflected by our discipline to keep track of our incremental progress and to allow the results to appear in due time. If you’re going to actually imprint a new change or practice, you must be patient with yourself and not cave to the feelings of dismay when you can’t see progress. Change is hard, but without it, we fail to grow.
