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Patience versus wasting time

By Lois Ogunniyi

13 March 2023   |   6:16 pm

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From experience, I've already encountered several situations that have left me wondering, 'Am I being patient for the right reasons, or am I simply wasting time?' It is a question you should consider in many aspects of your life. It is applicable in a broad range of situations.

An alarm clock | Photo The Healthy

From experience, I’ve already encountered several situations that have left me wondering, ‘Am I being patient for the right reasons, or am I simply wasting time?’ It is a question you should consider in many aspects of your life. It is applicable in a broad range of situations.

What exactly is the difference between patience and wasting time? When you have done work but it has not yet paid off. Then you must be calm and wait for the result; that’s patience. On the other hand, it is when you sleep in bed, waiting for the world to change but not doing anything significant. That’s not called patience. No! When you don’t do something and wait to get a result, it is a waste of time. Patience is the process of enduring time, usually due to a delay. but while simultaneously, you are putting in the effort. As a professional daydreamer, I’m aware of the time and brainwork used to cook up those scenarios that can be put into actual work. Daydreaming and procrastination are time-wasters masquerading as patience. In the case of patience, the delay occurs from other sources aside from you and often appears as an act for a better cause.

Both patience and procrastination involve delay; however, what sets them apart is;

Since patience does not initiate the delay, the individual restrains his or her willingness to continue until the delay period has ended. In contrast, the delay is willing and wanted in procrastination and negligence, which include atoms of laziness.

Patience is an act of keeping hope in a desired outcome because time lost will never be regained; it has no mercy; wasting time is the process of doing something intentionally; it is like knowing what to do but you are not interested in doing it; procrastination and negligence constantly consume lots of time, which are never going to be regained.

When am I patient?
One is often patient when in the process of an operation or goal, one encounters a delay and during this delay
The best option would be to wait, which could bring improved results.
Other options could be destructive or give a less intended goal
There were no other options

When am I procrastinating?
One procrastinates when
The right time is now, but you let it pass
There are better options than waiting
Waiting will give less than the desired outcome
There are other options
Now that you know, stop making excuses. You now know better.