(Be Patient) Your Time Will Come
Has anyone ever told you this?
What do you think when you hear this?
Is it patronizing & placating or perhaps passive aggressive? Or is it positive?
In business who decides when “your time will come” has come?
I submit that you decide.
You decide when and where you put your energies and efforts. You decide where and when Your Time Will Come.
It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.
~ Eddie Cantor
Tone & Context Matters
Your Time Will Come can be used as a filler statement when someone may not know what to say or otherwise may not want to hurt someone’s feelings. Other times it can be used in different ways with different intentions.
Below are a few scenarios where both tone and context come into play. Of these there is really only one that I would prefer to hear.
- Passive Aggressive – When this form is used, the person on the receiving end is often being put down in a not very nice way.
- Patronizing – This is the form that is often used on kids (or those being treated as kids… see Passive Aggressive). For example, telling a kid they aren’t tall enough to ride the roller coaster.
- Placating – When someone isn’t quite sure what to say and they use the term “Your Time Will Come” as a way of assuaging an anxiety filled situation. For example, when someone misses out on something and they may be mad at themselves and perhaps a little embarrassed. For example, passed over for a promotion or being selected on a specific team.
- Positive – When there is a basis and the facts to backup the truth of the statement. For example, if you are required to work in an industry for a specific amount of time before seeking the next level (for example, the Professional Engineering (PE) designation). Someone stating the facts and letting the other person know that there is a time and effort commitment. Then a conscious decision can be made as to whether they want to put in the work.
Timing
Another platitude is that timing is everything. It’s as important and relevant as the title of this post. When your time does come – whether you orchestrated the timing of it yourself or whether it “just happened” – you should have the following points covered.
- Be Ready
- Have a Plan
- Enjoy the Ride
BONUS POINT – Pay it Forward: Take the time to help someone else and see to it that their time has come. You’ll be surprised at how many times this forms a strong and reciprocal relationship within your direct network and also to reach out to people and groups you may not have worked with before.
Speeding the Process
In order to speed the process of when Your Time Will Come there are a few things you can do. The most obvious is to insure you have a plan and direction for what you want to do and where you want to be. As you start down the path, make sure you communicate your intentions. Connect with your Mentors and Inspirators. And, seek people and situations that will help you insure that Your Time Will Come. When done consistently you will stand out in your career and be more authentic in your interactions.
Good Luck. And, in keeping with the theme of this post I will end it the way it started.
Your Time Will Come.
