Be Patient with Yourself—Mastery Takes Time

Aaron Judge didn’t pop out of his mother’s womb smacking home runs. Oprah Winfrey wasn’t giving away cars when she was a local anchor in Baltimore. And the most successful leader in your firm did not have a big book of business when she was writing research memos as a new associate.

Everyone starts somewhere. Even the best in the world were once beginners, stumbling through their first attempts, making mistakes, and wondering if they had what it took. But the difference between those who reach their potential and those who don’t isn’t raw talent. It’s patience, persistence, and a willingness to commit to the process.

Why Can This Be So Hard for Successful Professionals?

If you’ve built your career on academic success, being a beginner again can feel frustrating, sometimes even humiliating. Many high-achievers have spent years excelling in structured environments like school and the early stages of their careers, where effort tends to yield quick and visible results. You study for a test, you get an A. You prepare for a case, you win. You put in the hours, you get the good review.

But true growth, especially when you’re stepping outside your comfort zone, doesn’t always follow that pattern. Progress in business development, leadership, entrepreneurship, or any complex skill often comes in unpredictable waves. There will be stretches where you feel like nothing is happening. That doesn’t mean you aren’t improving.

Focus on the Daily Work, Not Just the Outcome

It’s easy to get impatient when success doesn’t come quickly. However, improvement isn’t always obvious in the moment. You may not see the progress day by day, but if you stay consistent, you are getting better. The key is to focus on what’s in your control: your effort, your habits, and your commitment to doing the work.

And remember that talent alone isn’t enough. The willingness to start from scratch, be patient, and put in the work is what made the difference.

Don’t Confuse the Delay of Consequences with the Absence of Consequences

Just because you don’t see immediate results doesn’t mean your work isn’t, umm, working! If you’re putting in the effort, whether it’s in your career, fitness, business, or personal development, you are improving. The results will come if you stick with it.

The same principle works in reverse. We all know someone who for years thought they could “eat anything,“ who now has heart disease. Or the smoker with the horrible cough, who thought she was somehow immune from the effects of her habit. Or how about the lawyer who skipped business development activities because he was “really busy” on some big matters, and now has nothing to put on his timesheet?

If you slack off, skip workouts, or neglect your goals, you may not see the effects right away, but over time, those choices add up. Progress and stagnation both happen in the background while you’re not looking.

Give Yourself Credit for Showing Up

Too often, professionals only celebrate results rather than the process that got them there. But the real battle is in the daily habits, the moments when you keep going even when motivation is low. Those times you don’t feel like it. That’s what separates the people who succeed from the ones who give up.

The Bottom Line

So be patient with yourself. Attack the process. Stick with the program. The person who stays consistent, even when it feels like nothing is happening, is the one who ultimately wins.

Helping you Thrive,

Judy

Founder, Selby Strategies

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