How impatient am I? I’m so impatient that I get road rage walking behind people on the sidewalk. I’m so impatient that without supervision, I’d preheat the oven to 500 degrees Celsius to cook my food in five minutes. But this post is about more than slow walkers or potentially setting fire in the kitchen. It’s about…life. More specifically, being impatient about where I am in life.
My generation is one of instant gratification. We grew up with fast fashion, fast food, hookup culture, Amazon single day delivery, and so on. School taught us that by age 18, we need to know what we want to do with our lives. Advertising taught us that joy can be purchased. Fad diets taught us that we can easily lose 20 pounds every month. What I’m saying is that we are shaped by the environments we grow up in. So if you’re as impatient as I am, there’s good reason for it.
I once saw a Facebook video on the various ages of famous entrepreneurs when they got started and when they found success. The whole message is that everybody runs on their own time. So we shouldn’t envy those who seem like they made it in life, or look down on those who don’t have it together yet.
I realized I have tunnel vision from the expectation that I need to graduate by a certain time, become financially comfortable by a certain time, find a lovely husband and have kids by a certain time. And if I can’t do that, then there’s something wrong with me. I was so unhappy that I wasn’t making bank, owned a condo, had three cats, and a potential husband by age 22. Honestly, I felt like I’ve dishonored my family, my heritage, my ancestors, and my cow. I had to take a step back an see things from a bigger picture.
One of my friends in her late twenties is married with a child on the way. Other friends nearing thirty are trying to make it in a new country. Some friends have been living on their own since 18. Others have always lived with family. In my fashion program, there were girls like me who started fresh from high school. And there were other girls who already had other degrees. One of the most successful people I know changes career field three times and worked years for a thankless company.
In life, nobody is ahead or behind. We all run on our own time.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still impatient to own a condo and raise three cats. But I’m trying not to be impatient in a destructive way.
Impatience is restless energy that can be channeled into something more productive. When you’re feeling unsatisfied with life, it’s so important to define what you want to accomplish, set tangible goals, and work towards them each day. Much easier said than done because we also need to account for lack of motivation and setbacks. Impatience can push me to get things done during times I’d rather be watching cat videos or being a couch potato. However, on days I feel physically unwell or mentally burned out, the best thing I could do is let myself breathe and not rush my own time.
Swing by my personal blog for an exciting announcement
Life Outside of Design Studio 
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