I'm Mihaela, often my own harshest critic.
I admit, patience has never been my strong suit, and I doubt it ever was. This was proven to me once again last week when I returned from vacation and my flight was delayed by about five hours. I had to conserve my phone's battery, so using the internet was out of the question, and all I had to do was be patient.
Honestly, it was a real challenge, and it reminded me of my first months working at a corporation. Those days were torturous, not because there was too much information or because too much was demanded of me, but because I lacked patience with myself. I wanted to quickly assimilate everything I was learning, often comparing myself to people who had been in their positions for years.
There came a point when I realized I had to change my approach and stop sabotaging myself, or leave. The latter wasn't really an option, so I began to accept and learn that change comes step by step. I stopped comparing myself to others and always tried to be a better version of myself, proud of every small progress. Now, after a year in this corporation, I can see how much I've grown.
I'm much more confident, but when new challenges arise, I give myself time to learn. Even if I need more time than others around me, I don't judge myself for it. Many internal battles were fought to reach this point, and I admit, I was my own harshest critic. Change came gradually, sometimes requiring a lot of discipline to assimilate, and other times needing a replacement of critical words with kinder ones.
So, all I can say is that when you change your professional environment, don't expect magic to happen instantly. Enjoy each small step you take and try to be better with each passing day. And if you can't do it daily, avoid criticizing yourself.
Recalling this period made my stay at the airport much more pleasant because I remembered what it's like to be patient and started to enjoy the sunset visible from the boarding gate window.
Do you have patience with yourself or with your team members?
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