The time will pass anyway

As I’ve mentioned in many of my posts, my husband and I run a taekwondo studio. We’ve been doing this for nine years. I love the work we do there and the community that has developed within our classes.

One aspect of our program that can be a bit daunting (in my observation) is that earning a black belt (which is the goal of our classes) takes three years. Three years is a long time. And I appreciate that, especially, as the parent of a six-year-old: three years ago, my daughter was barely speaking and walking. How could I responsibly sign her up for a three year program, I have NO IDEA what she’s going to be like in another three years.

But, as a wise mentor told me when I gawked at the idea of spending three years working towards a black belt: the time will pass anyway.

In fact, the time will fly by.

Another way I’ve heard this put is that we often overestimate what we can do in a short amount of time (a day, an hour, a week), but underestimate what we can do over the long term (a year, five years, a decade).

The other example I’ve noticed of this phenomenon in my life is reading. When my daughters were still in diapers, I felt like I never had time to read (and it made me want to lose my mind). But one day, I thought, “I can read a couple of pages a day.” And it turns out, there was time for a few pages a day. Maybe it takes me a month to read a book that I could have finished in days before I had kids, but I do still finish.

So, whether it’s reading a book. Starting a blog. Learning a language. Finishing a degree. Building a business. Earning a black belt.

The time will pass anyway.

You might as well get started.