On last month's Career Sparks, we talked about patience.

How patient should you be when making a dream happen?

We constantly face pressures that make it seem that pushing harder is the answer, that if we can’t achieve it immediately, we’re not good enough. We easily lose perspective in a world where only the successes are recounted publicly.

Here’s my experience:

It got more challenging every time I pushed harder and tried to force things to happen. Not because of the task itself but because of the grip I was holding.
Pushing harder was getting me in my head. The ‘what ifs’. The ‘I’m not … ‘.
And every time I could release that pressure and asked what was happening right now that needed my attention, it got easier.

Sometimes, that meant seeing that what I was pushing for was not for me (yet).


A recent example:

For a year, I told myself I wanted and should have done more live events. But I got hung up on the format, timings, and frequency—all the unimportant stuff. At every turn, I made myself feel wrong for not ‘just doing it’.

I was pushing.

But then, someway through the year, I let that pressure go. I redirected that effort to other important tasks.

I wasn't letting the idea go, but I let go of the urgency. Slowly, without much effort, an idea formed in the background.

Career sparks.

I know now that I needed that gestation period to understand how I wanted to show up, and I feel more confident for it.

And what a beautiful space has formed. Read this post about the last round.

In 2025, you’ll see more live events. Watch this newsletter for announcements.

But it wasn't from pushing but releasing the ‘need of’, the urgency.


So, back to the question: how much patience should you have?

LOTS.

We overestimate what we can do in a month, but underestimate what we can achieve in a year.

Not to speak of 5 years.

Take the long-term view.


And when things get tough, when things don't happen as quickly as you want, I offer you these questions:

1. Is it the right time?
2. What do I need to release (anxiety, pressure, expectations) to get back to doing “it” with ease?
3. What else might need my attention right now?

Over to you: Where can you release an urgent need? What, instead, wants your attention?

P.S: Notice how many of these answers don't come from outside but from the inner voice.

Until next time,
Simone