Dealing with impatience

I’ve been in a snappy mood for the last two weeks.

A friend and I are creating a board game, and we launched a waitlist page.

We saw good initial traction, culminating in a large business order.

The catch, we need to deliver the final product about two months earlier than planned.

Since then, we have devised a plan to deliver it on time, but it will be tight, and we can’t afford delays.

The added stress has made me impatient and irritable, affecting other areas of my life and the tasks I’ve been managing.

After journaling about it, a few things came to mind:

• Looking at the positive side, I should be happy that someone has ordered something that is still in development. It’s a good problem to have.

• There is only so much we can control, and we can do our best to do it well and on time. However, other things may happen outside our control, such as prototyping delays due to Christmas and the Chinese New Year. We should prepare for various scenarios, but I should not let them affect my mood.

• We should be transparent with the business, informing them of the tight timeline and risks. While that may affect the deal, it better reflects the type of business we want to run — trust and quality.

• There’s no point in being irritable. It doesn’t help anyone. Whenever I feel irritable, I now try to take a 1-minute break

Today’s prompts are those that I used to reflect.

Today’s Prompts

Self-reflection

What situations recently have made me feel impatient or irritable, and why? What was within my control in the situation, and what wasn’t?

How do I typically respond to stress, and how does it impact my relationships or work?

What actions can I take to calm myself when I start to feel irritable?

Quote of the day

“Even though you're irritated or disappointed about a game, never lose your human side.” - Edgar Davids (legendary footballer)

The 'If you don’t have time’ Prompt

What am I looking forward to today?

Get the most out of your journalling:

• Choose one prompt: Focus on just one prompt each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Be brutally honest: Reflect openly and honestly. This is your safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

• Take your time: Sometimes it takes a few days to clarify your thinking. Here’s permission for you to take your time to unravel a prompt and not take on any new ones during that time.

• Journal your way: Whether you prefer writing, audio recording, or video, choose the method that suits you best.

• Don't stress about streaks: If you miss a day, don't worry. You can always revisit a previous prompt.

I’d love your feedback

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply this mail and let me know!