Today is the start of a new year, so I thought I’d rededicate myself to addressing my wait issues. No, that is not a typo. I have problems with waiting.

Difficulty waiting can lead to a number of really bad habits, and rather than try to change each of those habits, I thought it made more sense to focus on waiting itself.

Waiting

In an effort to tackle my wait issues, I hereby resolve to do the following:

Wait For Others. I’m frequently late for meetings and other appointments. My tardiness is rarely lengthy but it happens quite often. A big reason is that I’m usually busy right up to the time when I transition to meeting with others. In my mind, leaving “early”—that is, leaving to arrive on time—means arriving with nothing better to do than simply wait. That’s hard for me because of all the “really important” stuff I have to do.

Rather than spending time waiting for others, I routinely have folks waiting for me. As habits go, this one is pretty bad: My behavior is both rude and incredibly arrogant.

So this year I resolve to spend more time waiting for others.

Wait For Others To Speak. I’m often impatient when it comes to conversing with others, especially when the conversation is about an issue that I know: I speak too soon, too often, and too long. And I don’t listen, not nearly enough, to what others have to say. That would mean sitting idle as others decide if they will speak and what they will say. So inefficient!!

So this year I resolve to spend more time waiting for others to speak.

Wait For Others To Act. I can also be really impatient when working with others to solve a problem or develop a plan. I can be full of energy, full of advice, or just plain full of it. I don’t respect the group process or the group’s expertise. I assume, wrongly and hastily, that the group will need my help to complete the task with any success. So rather than tapping into the collective wisdom and experience of others, I take sole ownership of the means and the ends, ignoring the resources right in front of me.

So this year I resolve to spend more time waiting for others to act.

This year, my new year’s wish is to gain ground on my recurring wait issues. I can’t wait to get started. ☺