Great example, I hadn’t heard that one before, but it definitely applies. Steve Pavlina has also been known to say that people overestimate what they can accomplish in one year, but underestimate what they can do in five. Human nature strikes again.

-Scott

I tend to explain this syndrome by the fact that people only look at the ‘innovation’ at a superficial level. When it comes to the 2 year time frame, they see someone cool and innovative and think it will take over the world tomorrow. But they often underestimate the underlying complexities of getting a laboratory innovation into mainstream usage with any significant impact. The innovation needs commercialision, distribution, often needs refinement and packaging for consumption. Users need to find out about it, learn how to use it, adapt their behaviours. Once all of these dependencies are attended to, then the innovation can start to have its anticipated impact.

When it comes to the 10 year times frame, people tend to only think of the first order impacts. That is, if everyone gets this thing/innovation, then they will use it for its intended application. But when they often fail to calculate are the knock-on second and third order impacts. If people start using it to do X, then they might start doing Y differently as well. The classic example of this syndrome is ‘mobile phone texting’. Originally set up my phone companies as a clever device for managing the network, no one anticipated the wide and diverse uses it would be co-opted for and how it would actually change the culture.

Great example. Best of luck to you!

-Scott

- It took me about 5 years to switch from my 50- to 60-hour-a-week career, and accept a massive pay cut by becoming self-employed, just so I’d have enough time to finish it.

- It took me about 1 more year to finish writing it.

- I spent about 1 year receiving rejections from dozens of agents, and doing massive editing in response to some of the more helpful among them. One agent got excited about the project, signed me, and found an interested publisher, who ultimately passed.

- After nearly 1 year with that agent, we parted amicably and I started pursuing smaller publishers.

After almost 1 year of approaching editors at small presses, I found one who got so excited about it that he offered me a contract almost on the spot… about 10 years from the time I decided to pursue this dream.

I have yet to make a dime, but I’m happier than ever in my new career. Now I’m working on my first novel. Wonder how long that will take…

But for those that get over this hurdle and take daily action, it can be quite disappointing to not see results after trying again and again. But we all need to stay persistent and keep going!

I loved this post, and have been actively attempting to practice the art of patience within the confines of my own life to see what benefits it may bring, if only peace of mind. On the flip side, though, have you ever found yourself paralyzed by fear of a potential lengthy time commitment, and then trapped in a state of inactivity as a result? And if you are paralyzed by fear in that instance, is that indicative of the fact that perhaps you shouldn’t be pursuing X commitment? Or does it simply just point to a personal issue that needs work? Thoughts?