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It’s interesting.
I bet if you told most new developers that it was going to take them a year to learn a language like PHP, they’d throw themselves on the floor into fits of rage and desperation… frantically repeating, “Not me. Not me. Not me.”
It just seems like too long for most.
Then, there’s this email I received from Seven the other day:
“Hey John I just wanted to say thank you for all the emails you sent out and all the hard work that you continue to put in to help others. I really appreciate your concern for guys and girls who need a guidance in the world of web development. Just a few lines about me. I am a front end developer. I am working as a front end developer intern. I just got this position a week ago. I really like this coding stuff. I have only been learning to code by myself a year now. Anyways thank you for your tips and help. I greatly appreciate it.“
One year… and landed himself and intern position.
Should he be disappointed or frustrated?
Hell no!
Let me frame the same question another way.
Let’s say you’re 25 years old. Or 30? Whatever.
What if I told you that one year from now you could acquire the skills to propel yourself down an entirely new career path? That you’d love the hell out of what you did on a daily basis. You’d work on projects that mattered. You’d work with people who were like you and really got you. You’d make good money doing it. And, you’d have the whole rest of your life to do it.
Would that one year seem like such a big deal?
The point is…
Patience.
Like Gary Vaynerchuk says:
“In early 2006, I started Wine Library TV. For 19 months, I did that show five days a week and nobody gave a s!@#. So when I get emails… which I get 50 of them a day from entrepreneurs who are like, ‘Hey. I know you always talk about patience. I’ve been doing this. It’s not working. Should I give up and do something else?’ I’ll email back and be like, ‘How long have you been doing it?’. They’ll say, ‘Oh. 4 months.’ And I’m like f!@# you. You want this to be your life and you’re giving up after 4 months? Are you out of your mind?“
Now, here’s the real problem with being impatient.
I got started online way back in 2004. I was in Iraq. I was nearing the end of my tour and I was in the Army Reserves. So, when I got back home I’d be off active duty orders and have to find a civilian job.
My wife and I were getting divorced.
My dad had been diagnosed with cancer and diabetes while I was there, so I had used all my leave to go home and see him. I had about 3 days of leave left. So, I knew I’d be about a max of 3 or 4 days back from Iraq…
And, I had no job. No car. And, no place to live.
Honestly, I was terrified.
I remember the day I got released from Fort Riley and was officially done with my Iraq tour. I drove about 2 hours to my brother’s house. My mom and a few nieces and nephews were there.
When, I got there they’d made a bunch of cards for me.
I couldn’t handle it.
I went in the bathroom and just bawled for about an hour.
Then, I left.
Needless to say, I was very impatient.
And, I spent the next 5 or 6 years hopping from “opportunity” to “opportunity” online. I tried several different products and businesses. I jumped at every shiny object, course, tool… because I was desperate for a way out.
And frankly, it wasn’t all that long ago that I got my s!@# together.
I forced myself to learn how to be patient. I blocked out all the noise and I focused in on what I wanted. Since then, things have turned 180. Now, I won’t say it was overnight or easy. Things have been tough and at times… slow.
But, I’m miles further than I was just spinning my wheels… being impatient.
Slow down!
Thing about what you really want 5 years, 10 years, 20 years from now. When you think in those terms… 1 year ain’t s!@#.
It’s a step in an overall strategy.
And, strategy requires discipline… patience.
Now, let me get a bit “weirder” for a second. I do some things on a daily basis that others might think are strange to help me build up my patience. See, to me, it’s not something that happens. It’s like a muscle… you have to build it up.
And, you can.
Anyway, I just uploaded a PDF over on Patreon that steps through the exercises I do to build up my patience. It’s been one of the most powerful parts of transforming my life… and you can get it as a patron over on Patreon at any level.
Get it here: https://johnmorrisonline.com/patreon
P.S. If you liked the show, give it a like and share with the communities and people you think will benefit. And, you can always find all my tutorials, source code and exclusive courses on Patreon.
