Fast Change Isn't What You Really Want.

I was chatting with a leader in their early 20’s about their long-term career direction when it became clear that a return to college to finish an undergrad degree was likely. They estimated this would take 3+ years.

Then I heard a DEEP sigh. 

When I asked what prompted the visceral reaction, I got a very honest response:

“There’s no instant gratification in that path.”

My friend was brave enough to speak a truth that lurks in most of us: 

We think we want quick, significant change.

We want to exercise or diet for a few weeks and be in amazing shape. 

Or tighten our financial belts for a couple of months and be out of debt and caught up on retirement.

Or hang out with someone a couple times and walk away with a new best friend or soulmate.

Or launch a new message series, program or campaign that yields big, tangible returns.

But life doesn’t really work that way. And we don’t really want it to.

Because most of the time- rapid, large-scale transformation is painful and disorienting.

Just ask the folks who were deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene last fall. 

In a matter of hours, their landscape was radically altered. One minute there was an interstate, the next a river.

(image by @MargoinWNC on X)

Or the workers who walked into work this morning only to be told their job was no longer available.

Or the families who got the call that their loved one had passed from this life unexpectedly.

Those changes happen in the blink of an eye and redefine our realities.

Slower, steady change is much less painful, healthier and realistic.

Think about how growth occurs in plants and people. Not much appears to be happening on any given day. 

Then after a bunch of days- the seeds have grown to harvest, the sapling tree is big enough to hold a tire swing, your baby is heading to kindergarten, or that gangly, pre-teen you invested in is posting pictures of their wedding or first home purchase.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t see signs of progress along the way.

My friend who is contemplating a return to school might take a few years to get their degree. But they can mark off the semesters they complete every few months.

And even when the bigger goal is distant, we can move with purpose each day.

The young leader I mentioned is passionate about teaching and investing in others.

And their current 9-5 job provides daily opportunities to do just that if they show up with that intention.

How about you?

Where are you feeling a pull towards instant gratification when it comes to growth in your life and work?

How could you adjust your expectations while marking progress and moving with purpose towards your goals?