Last week, I talked about why most people quit - how we expect quick results and give up when they don’t come fast enough.
But what happens after we decide to stick with it?
Once you’ve committed to the process, how do you handle the fact that progress is still slow?
That’s where patience comes in.
And here’s the thing - patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about how you wait.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” – Joyce Meyer
There’s a reason most people never reach their full potential.
It’s not that they aren’t talented. It’s not that they aren’t trying. It’s that they can’t handle the waiting.
They mistake “slow” for “stuck.”
They assume if something isn’t happening now, it’s not happening at all.
But real growth doesn’t work like that.
Patience is what separates the ones who make it from the ones who don’t.
This week, let’s talk about how to develop that kind of patience - the kind that actually gets you somewhere.
Because if you’re going to wait, you might as well wait right.
In 1995, J.K. Rowling finished the first draft of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
She sent it out to publishers. And got rejected.
Once. Twice. Five times. Eight times. Twelve times.
Imagine if she had quit after rejection #5… or #10… or even #11.
But she didn’t.
In 1996, a small publishing house took a chance and printed 500 copies.
By 1999, she had sold 100,000 copies.
Today? Over 600 million copies worldwide.
The lesson?
Most people don’t fail because they’re incapable. They fail because they don’t stick around long enough to see their work pay off.
And as much as I write for you, I also write for myself. I’m right there with you. I’m not a guru. I’m not some expert who’s figured everything out. This newsletter is my mental diary - just me, trying to make sense of this journey, and I share it because I know many of you are in the same place.
We’ve all been there - doing all the right things but seeing zero results.
Reading. Learning. Showing up. Making better choices.
And yet… nothing seems to change.
At first, we stay optimistic. We tell ourselves to trust the process.
We repeat to ourselves - I wanted this, I chose this. I am committed.
But then doubt creeps in.
And when the frustration gets unbearable, we switch things up.
We tweak the strategy, jump to a new routine, chase another “better” way.
Not because the old way wasn’t working. But because we lost trust in the process.
By starting new ways or tweaking strategies, we always start from zero. This way, we are in this loop where we are going one step forward, two steps back.
That’s the real reason most people fail.
Not because they didn’t put in the effort.
But because they didn’t trust themselves enough to stay the course.
Most people think patience means waiting passively.
But real patience? It’s the opposite.
Patience is an active skill.
Here’s the first thing you have to accept: delayed gratification.
The bigger your goal, the bigger your wait.
It’s not that you don’t deserve quick results - it’s that, when you choose a bigger end goal, slower progress often leads to more sustainable and lasting results.
Fast results aren’t always as durable as the ones that took time to build. We live in a world of instant results - fast food, same-day delivery, viral success stories.
It's easy to believe that if something doesn't happen quickly, it's not meant for us.
But the truth?
You don’t build confidence overnight. You don’t master a skill in a week. You don’t prove yourself in a month.
It can take years.
And that’s why you need to become obsessed with your goals.
You need a delusional trust in yourself.
You have to believe - truly believe - that you can and will make it, no matter how long it takes.
Fall in love with the process. Fall in love with the tasks. And stay relentless.
Before you commit, ask yourself: Are you ready for this? Are you ready to make progress, even when it feels like nothing is happening? Are you ready to associate yourself with this mission?
Because the only thing that will stop you is your own doubt. As you move forward, you’ll realize that progress happens in small, unseen victories.
The little things that no one else sees - the reps you put in, the habits you build, the fact that you showed up when you didn’t want to - those are the private victories that lay the foundation for the public ones.
“Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” – Napoleon Hill
It is no secret that nothing is possible if you are alone. That is why it is so crucial to surround yourself with the right people.
You need a network of people who encourage you, inspire you, support you, and care for you.
Whether it’s friends, significant other, family, mentors, or online communities. Having someone to lean on or share your journey can help you stay on track.
And these things - patience, delusional obsession, and trust - are now the criteria I think through before committing to any goal.
As we talked about falling in love with the process, it’s important to be aware of the rewards of the process.
It may help you fall in love with it and experience the long-term rewards in the end.
Now, let me break down three things I keep in mind to help me avoid quitting - and instead, fall in love with the process even more.
When you choose not to quit, you earn a deep sense of self-respect. You start to believe in yourself. After every time you push through a challenge, you gain self-respect points.
The decision not to quit forces you to grow. You choose to put yourself in discomfort, which tests your ability to handle adversity. This is where the real transformation happens.
When you stick with something, the pride you feel at the end is much greater than any instant gratification. The journey will be tough, but the reward? Unmatched.
It is hard to do it when nothing seems to be changing.
But I guess this is the price of fulfilling success.
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All the love, Niklāvs
