Caramel goes from perfect to burnt in about ten seconds. Patience is knowing when to wait and when to move right now.

Patience is not slowness. It is accuracy about timing, which includes the moments that demand immediate action, and sugar is a good teacher because it punishes hesitation and haste equally. You stand there doing nothing for four minutes, then you have ten seconds. Confusing the two halves is how things get ruined.

Watch for the switch rather than choosing a speed in advance. In the kitchen it is colour and smell; elsewhere it is a tone of voice, a deadline moving, a friend going quiet. Decide now what signal means act immediately, so you are not deciding while it burns.