The Sooner You Accept it Will Take a Long Time, The Quicker it Comes

The sooner you’re able to accept that it’s going to take a lot longer than you thought it would, that’s when everything comes – all at the same time. This sounds simple enough. But if it’s so simple, then why do we have such a hard time doing it? 

In marketing, there’s this saying that you’re “selling the vacation on the beach, not the plane ride to get there.” This is logical, it makes sense. If you sell a service, then the person buying it doesn’t care how it works. They don’t care about the specs and the technical details of the process. They just want the finished result that they’re buying from you. 

So through that lens, we can see why it’s so hard to accept that the things we want will take a lot longer than we had originally hoped. It’s hardwired into us. We’ve been trained by society to pay zero attention to the process, and put all of our focus on the end result. 

But if we want to find success in our projects, in our aspirations – we have to be able to flip the script, and focus on the details, the process – the struggle. Accepting that it will take longer than we thought is about more than some magic potion – it’s actually extremely simple. 

When you accept that things are going to take longer than you thought, you have no choice but to divert your attention back to the moment. I mean, you’re going to be here for a while – waiting for the thing to come, because you’ve accepted that it will take a long time, so you’re forced to enjoy the moments leading up to getting the thing. 

This is why it then comes sooner. This is the secret path to accelerating your growth and the attainment of your goals. It’s not some woo woo gratitude thing, or a manifestation hoax. It’s because when you accept the length of time it will take to achieve a goal, you’re forced into the moment – into the very moments you need to be present for in order to achieve the thing in the first place. 

When we’re focused on the end result, wanting it, praying for it, it feels like it’s never going to come (and it often doesn’t). That is because we’re missing one key component to succeeding in our latest adventure – you actually have to take action. 

This is like being at a party, or out with some friends. You ever notice what happens when you don’t want to be there? Your energy drops. You can’t wait for it to end. You aren’t present. You lose your ability to smile, to have pleasant conversations – and the whole thing begins to drag. 

But, when you’re present, when you want to be in a social setting – it flies by and you’re disappointed when it’s over. This is the real point here. It’s what happens when you accept that it will take a very long time.

That’s the difference to realize – and to apply to your own endeavours. When you’re able to accept the timeline, you stop resisting the process. And when you stop resisting, you’re actually able to move through it with a smile on your face.

So, if you’re chasing something right now – a business, a new offer, momentum, traction, personal growth – you don’t need a shortcut. You don’t need to give into the urge to push through things aggressively just so they’re done faster. You need tools for acceptance. Because the moment you accept how long it’s actually going to take – that’s the moment you finally start doing the deep, focused work that’s required to push it across the finish line. 

This won’t be easy at first. Like anything, the first step is the toughest. But after a few days of thinking like this, approaching your projects or your life goals like this – you’ll wonder how you ever approached it any differently. 

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All The Best,

Jay Ashcroft