From Impatient to “I’m Patient”

From search engines and speed dating to our nanosecond tech-fueled society of instant gratification, many believe we have become an impatient nation.

GE’s Charlene Begley agrees – she calls impatience her biggest weakness.

“If you ask people [who] work for me, they’ll tell you I’m the most impatient person and I want everything done yesterday,” Begley, GE’s CIO and senior vice president, tells PINK. “When I want something done, I want it done.”

How to slow down?

Begley, who also works as president and CEO of GE’s Home & Business Solutions, tries to manage her impatience by “having things scheduled and using clear 

communication. I try to create a rhythm that allows me not to get too reactive with people.” She adds that learning to “bite my tongue” and not ask twice has helped.

To become more patient, experts advise stopping, settling into the moment by consciously relaxing, identifying what the impatience is about, taking deep breaths and realizing “it’s all going to be OK.”

Some impatience may not be a bad thing. NPR explains that for abolitionists, suffragists and civil rights leaders, impatience led to change.

Bonus PINK Link: She has a team in the thousands and a budget in the billions. Learn more about GE CIO Charlene Begley in PINK’s exclusive Top Woman profile.

By Caroline Cox

“Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off.” Unknown