The person who can sit with boredom the longest usually ends up with the skill everybody else wanted.

LEADERSHIP

WHAT THIS MEANS

Every real skill has a long dull middle where you are past the fun beginning and nowhere near good. Most people leave at exactly that point, not from lack of ability but because the boredom is genuinely unpleasant and quitting is free. Tolerance for that stretch separates people more than talent does. It is also trainable, which nobody mentions.

Pick one thing and commit to the boring part for a month rather than to an outcome. Keep sessions short enough that you finish them. When you want to stop, do five more minutes, and notice that the wanting passes.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

How long can you stay with something dull before quitting?

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