Waiting.
Okay, that requires some explanation.
It’s not like I know a secret door at the grocery store where you don’t have to stand in line or have a lifetime VIP pass for Apple Stores and Disney Land (if you have one, do tell).
I have something way better: An out of sight, out of mind attitude.
Life is like a game of tennis: Sometimes the ball is in your half of the field. Sometimes it’s on the other side.
Whenever the ball is in our field, it’s our turn to act. We know exactly what to do then: get the ball across the net. Out, out, out!
Send the email, mow the lawn, call the guy, get the quote, pay the bill.
But as soon as the ball is on the other side, we screw up: we resort to waiting. And then we ponder and debate and play the ‘what if’ game.
“What if he rejects my proposal?”
“What if they don’t like the post?”
“What if my boss doesn’t like the idea?”
Sitting in endless agony, we wait and conjure either delusional fantasies of our success or apocalyptic worst-case scenarios of our failures – neither of which have happened yet or are even likely to.
Here’s the thing: The ball is always in your half of the field. You just might have to switch the court. There is always something else, waiting for you to tackle it.
I used to obsess over the emails I sent to people. For days on end, I would sit and wait for a response from a school, an influencer or a company.
Until I realized: This. Is. Stupid!
I have no way of controlling how people will respond, let alone do I have any particular right to get what I want.
Now, the moment I send an email, I forget it. I don’t even expect an answer.
Hit send, move on.
Yesterday I sent a pitch to a healthcare consulting company. The day before that I applied as a working student at BMW. I never wait for the world to get back to me. I’m always moving. Until something clicks.
And yes, you can extend this to situations where you actually have to wait, like at the grocery store, canteen, airport or, when it’s exam week at school, the library before it opens:
You can use this time to:
- Call your family.
- Chat with friends.
- Make appointments.
- Read.
- Answer emails.
- Document your day on Instagram.
- Reply to voice messages.
- Make new friends on social media.
…and a thousand other things, right from your phone.
The ball is always in your field. Don’t look at your opponent. Look for more balls and the world will come to you.
Slice! Topspin! Volley! One day, you might even hit an ace.
Out of sight, out of mind. Just like this answer once I press “Submit.”
*click*
