Don't Waste Your Wait.

We've all been there. Waiting in line at the grocery store, for class to end,  for Friday to arrive, our favorite show to come on, or the FedEx package to arrive. And then there are the bigger waits; the ones that require lots of time. Waiting for a new job, a long-awaited promotion, marriage, buying a home. We are all familiar (too familiar, at times) with the feeling of waiting.

But the thing with waiting is that it's so easy to waste. It's easy to fall into the trap that the end result of whatever we're waiting for is the goal. But, it's not. More times than not, the process of waiting, and what you do (or don't do) during that time is most important.

See, I can wait for Friday to come, but what about Monday through Thursday? That's a lot of hours, and a lot of life to be lived before Friday arrives. Am I choosing to make the most of it, or wishing my mind would disassociate through the first four days of the work week?

But, here's the thing: I will never ever get that time back. So why not choose to do something with that time, now, while you still have it?

I can stare at the clock until my favorite evening television show comes on, or I can read a book, do the dishes, clear out my inbox, or plan for the next day.

I can wait to buy a home; wondering if I'll land a significantly higher paying job which will enable me to buy what I really want, or I can make a plan now. I can put aside money, stick to a frugal budget to save more quickly, and slowly purchase items now that will eventually end up in my home.

I can dream about being a great leader, and wait for the day I become one. Or, I can be intentional now about developing depth of character and skills. I can surround myself now with leaders who I would want to emulate, I can read books now on leadership, and I can attend conferences now that challenge the status quo and my current way of thinking.

Or I can wait. And waste it all.

But, I don't want to do that. Don't waste the wait. It's not worth it.