We hire counsellors, financial advisors and coaches desiring immediate answers and quick solutions while not stopping to realize that the situation we presented to them didn’t happen over night. A troubled marriage, credit card debt or a sluggish business is the result of a culmination of time, mistakes, specific decisions and unforeseen circumstances. The turning around or resolution of any one of those things will require effort and patience.

By 9am you’ve put the pre-packaged cheese strings in your son’s lunch, eaten your instant oatmeal, answered 5 emails and had a Skype call with a

 customer. That was the easy part, next you will meet with your local newspaper to see if a consistent ad will increase your community profile, call the credit card company about lower your interest rate and open a dialogue with your husband and invite him for a Friday night date. These scenarios are where the real work starts.

All the best things in our life; raising kids, writing a bestseller, taking a river cruise on the Rhine, losing weight, business success are all a process. The ultimate dream vacation is so much more than just saving the money. You will decide what type of vacation you want; gourmet, beach, hiking, galleries & museums or exploring, as well as research side trips, accommodation, weather and clothes needed.

For your business in particular your decisions can produce results that can seem inconclusive but that doesn’t mean that they are ineffective. Ask yourself what you want to gain by the newspaper ads, website or networking meeting. Be more subtle in your answer than more business/clients/money.

Stepping back for a full view of the financial, professional or relationship picture and all the details in it is the first step in letting go of that sense of immediacy. The acceptance that there will be no instant result or quick fix is accompanied with a release of tension, an unknotting of the stomach and an overall feeling of relief. What we envision now has clarity and we can start to work on it in real time.