There is a time to start anew and a time to continue with the old; there is a time to change the routine and break away from the old way of doing things, but there is also a time to stay the course, to stick with what is tried and true. Both of these moments are inevitable in the pursuit of one’s goals, regardless of what they may be.
There is a time to finish and conclude, to close chapters and accept that what has been done is done, and that what was not was not—learning the graceful act of acceptance is an essential stoic life skill. Not everything ends in defeat, but there are some things that conclude in concession.
There is a time to be a novice, to lack expertise or knowledge about something new—if this time is weathered with diligence it is followed by a time for mastery. The space between these two points cannot be rushed—there are no shortcuts, no wormholes to cut through space-time. There is only hard work, consistency, curiosity, diligence, and patience. The journey is the destination. This is well known.
There is also a time to push on—to lift heavy weights, to flip and drag tyres, to run until one cannot run any more, and to stretch the body to its outer and inner limits. And there is a time to work with what the body has, to slow down, to walk, and to rest. These times, like seasons, all take their turn and each must be respected.
There is a time to ignore the noise and the distractions, to fight the algorithm. That time is always.
If all of these times are honoured and endured, there is a chance that all of the conditions for success will be met.
When is that time?
No one knows—it varies by goal. But what is known is that it is always later than one hopes, but sooner than one thinks.
But everything has to be in its right place. Including you.
Presence is a necessary condition for success.
Rémy Ngamije is an award-winning Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Forge.