Time to kill

The fools in life want things fast and easy. -Conscious Coaching

Take a second to think about your favorite meal. 

Maybe it's a tasty dessert. Perhaps it's a dish that is made from scratch; a recipe that has been handed down over generations. 

Regardless of what kind of meal it is, chances are your favorite dish isn't prepared in the microwave. 

The best of anything cannot be rushed.

It takes time. It takes patience. 

In life, we are always in a hurry. We are focused on the next opportunity, the next job, the promotion, the bigger stage, more responsibility, or more money.

We are tired of waiting, and we think that when we finally get what we want, then everything will be different. Yet for most of us, when that thing finally arrives, we feel a little empty. It just doesn't taste quite right. 

Here's what I've found: if you're focused on what's next, you're probably missing out on something that is right in front of you. 

If you're thinking about the next level, there's probably another level right where you're at. 

If you have one eye on the next destination, it robs you where you're at now. 

For me, instead of being in a hurry to get where I want, I know that I should double down and be more consistent right where I'm at.

The funny thing is: it'll actually speed up the process. 

I got back into weightlifting a couple of years ago. I try to sweat everyday, and haven't missed too many days in 2018. Yet I'm constantly frustrated: why am I not lifting more weight? Why am I not as strong as some people who aren't at the gym as often as I am? Why don't I look like the people I see on Instagram? 

The other week, I started a new workout program. It incorporates some exercises that I don't typically do. Some of the tempos it uses stress my muscles in new ways. Even though I'm actually lifting less weight than I usually do, I'm sore in areas that I'm not usually sore in. 

It's been the perfect example of unlocking another level right where I'm at. It's like playing a game of Mario and finding the hidden tunnel that takes you to the secret level with all of the extra gold coins. 

Stop worrying about what it looks like. Stop focusing on what's next, and start focusing on what's right in front of you. 

If you're willing to "level up" right where you're at, you'll unlock potential that you didn't know you had. You'll grow in ways you didn't know were possible. 

Stop trying to take shortcuts and cut down the waiting time. We all know that in order for it to taste right, it's going to take time.