The other week at the grocery store I bought one of my favorite summertime treats: the iconic ice cream sandwich. Given how hot it has been lately when I had one the other day I went right to eating it so that I wouldn't end up with a crazy mess all over my hands and table. But it wasn't until I got to the last two, mostly messy, bites that I remembered exactly why I loved this brand of ice cream sandwich, because the vanilla ice cream they use is extra tasty when it's a little melty. It isn't just a cold ice cream treat, it has a depth of flavor that brings it up a level from the average sandwich. So the next time I had one, you know what I did right?! Yes, grabbed a fork, let the sandwich sit for a few minutes and enjoyed an absolutely delicious and very melty sandwich with my fork just like a proper adult.
There are two success lessons I want to take from this tasty summer experience. First is the lesson of patience. Did I really want to wait for the sandwich to get melty before I dove in? No, of course not. But it was so much better the second time around when I waited a bit even if I didn't have anything on my fingers to lick at the end like a kid. As much as I love food, I know that some foods are worth the wait and rushing them just isn't the best thing to do. Success is the same: sometimes you have to let things (or yourself) cook, develop, percolate, mellow or age before the best version of success can be brought forth. Another food example regarding patience is how we have to wait for foods to grow, they don't just "poof" into existence and we can eat them, regardless of how fast we can eat them once they're ready (i.e. apple vs chicken). When it comes to our success, maybe you just aren't ready for that level of success and need to learn more or gain more experience first. Or maybe you're trying to jump ahead on technology when what you should do is invest in transitional technology that will be more accessible to more people and provide the time for the technology and resources to catch up to each other.
The second lesson has to do with my choice to use a fork. Yes, I absolutely could have eaten my sandwich with my hands once it melted a bit, but I would have gotten extremely messy and honestly I think it would have taken away from the enjoyment of eating it with it being as messy as it ended up being. No, it's not traditional to use a fork to eat an ice cream sandwich, but again, it made the experience much better. The lesson? Don't ignore the new and improved tools that are available to you that might make your success journey easier or stronger, but also don't be afraid to stick with the tools that you have available to you and you know consistently get you results. I've shared before about my preference to write stuff down rather than try and keep it all in my head, that's a tool that works for me. You may benefit from the tool of a timer that keeps you focused on one particular thing for a designated amount of time. Or you may discover you work best when you're listening to a particular type of music or audio. Or you may find that you are more productive when you start your day with water or a smoothie and have coffee later in the day. Or you may find that you are most productive having short strategy sessions with your coach or mentor each day rather than once a week for a longer block of time. Or you may be a digital tool person rather than a pen and paper, paper calendar tool person. The list goes on of course, because there are so many tools that we use throughout the day to help us be more successful.
To bring it full circle though, don't get so wrapped up in the process that you forget what you're working on or enjoying. Don't let the technique of eating the ice cream sandwich with a fork distract you from the goal of really enjoying the ice cream sandwich. Don't let the patience required or tools you apply become the focus instead of the actual work you're trying to succeed in. The techniques, tools and patience are there to support your success journey, not be the journey.
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