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The Patience Test: How to Know If Your Business Dream Is Worth the Wait
Every entrepreneur faces this moment: the late-night, staring-at-the-ceiling moment where you wonder if all the struggle is even worth it.
In my first few months of running Every Ingredient, I nearly quit twice. My profit predictions and my actual profits were two completely different universes running away from each other, and no matter how hard I worked, they just refused to meet. I would sit there late at night, wondering if all the effort, worry, and long hours were even worth it. Wouldn’t it be easier to get a stable job and stop stressing? (Not much has changed, to be fair)
But here’s the thing: every time I seriously considered walking away, I felt this quiet but stubborn pull to stay. Not because I was scared of quitting, but because something in me knew I wasn’t done yet.
That’s when I realized: this was my patience test.
Your Heart’s Deepest Desires Won’t Come Easy
Someone once told me, “Your patience will be tested with what your heart yearns for the most.” At the time, I thought that only applied to love. But it turns out it applies to business, too.
The very thing you want most, whether that’s a thriving business, a creative dream, or financial freedom, won’t come on your timeline. You’ll face delays, obstacles, and moments of doubt. Life has a way of “testing” how badly we want something by seeing if we can keep showing up even when progress feels slow or invisible.
How to Tell the Difference Between “Not Yet” and “Not Yours”
Here’s the part that can drive us crazy: not every delay is a sign to keep going. Sometimes it’s a sign to let go. So how do you know which is which?
Signs It’s Not Ready Yet (But Still Meant for You)
- Inner pull remains: You still feel genuinely drawn to it, not just out of fear of failing or ego.
- Opportunities reappear: Chances, ideas, or connections keep circling back.
- You’re growing: Building skills, relationships, and resilience that prepare you for it.
- Small wins show up: A single sale, a kind review, a timely conversation that reignites your hope.
- It energizes you: The vision excites you more than it drains you, even on hard days.
Signs It’s Not Meant for You
- Fear drives you: You’re only holding on because you’re scared of “wasting time” if you quit.
- You feel heavy: Resentment outweighs excitement most of the time.
- Every door is closed: Not just delayed, completely deadbolted.
- Values misalignment: Your lifestyle or priorities no longer match what the goal requires.
- It steals your peace: You’re more anxious and drained than fulfilled.
Golden Rule: If it’s truly yours, the waiting will make you better for it. If it’s not yours, the waiting will break you down until you want out anyway.
It’s okay to start over. It’s okay to take calculated risks, to try something new, and realize it’s not for you; that’s how you find what is meant for you. No one was given a manual for life. We only get one shot to create a vision that truly inspires us. And sometimes that means realizing you may just be in the wrong type of business. Many successful entrepreneurs had to fail at several ventures before finding the right one. Failure doesn’t always mean “not meant to be,” it’s often just a natural part of the process. The real challenge is knowing when you’re beating a dead horse and when you simply need to try harder.
Real-Life Proof: Colonel Sanders (KFC) failed at multiple careers, as a farmer, insurance salesman, gas station owner, and didn’t start franchising KFC until he was 62. Walt Disney went bankrupt before building his empire. Jack Ma was rejected from 30 jobs, including KFC, before founding Alibaba. Failure was just part of the process that led them to what was truly meant for them.
The Entrepreneur’s Emotional Paradox
In those early months, I lived in constant contradiction:
- Tired but driven.
- Worried but strangely at peace.
- Scared but excited for the future.
- Disappointed in profits but fulfilled by the process.
Those emotional contrasts were proof that I was in the right place that this business was growing me just as much as I was growing it.
Falling in Love With the Process
At some point, I stopped obsessing over how far behind I felt and started enjoying the small wins, the first repeat customer, the encouraging message from someone who found our spice blends helpful, the ideas that came more naturally once I wasn’t chasing results so desperately.
That’s when everything shifted. Profits started to climb. Opportunities found me. I was no longer just running a “hustle”; I was building a business.
And that’s an important distinction: hustlers love money, but business owners love building, improving, and innovating. That’s how empires are born. Ask yourself: Are you a hustler, or a business owner? Do you find yourself enjoying the journey or fixated on the destination?
Why Patience Is a Business Skill
Business is not a TikTok video with overnight success. It’s more like planting a garden; you have to water it consistently before you see results. That’s why I never tell someone to quit their job overnight to go “all in” on a new business. Having a financial cushion keeps you grounded so you don’t make desperate, short-term decisions that sabotage your long-term growth.
Patience is what allows you to build something sustainable. And when you work with patience, instead of fighting it, you’ll start to notice that your business grows right alongside you.
Your Turn: The Patience Test
If you’re in the middle of your own patience test right now, ask yourself:
- Is this making me better, or is it breaking me?
- Am I energized by the vision even when results are slow?
- Do I feel peace about staying the course, or does my gut tell me it’s time to move on?
The answers might surprise you, and they might just give you the clarity you’ve been waiting for.
So are you in a season of waiting? How are you handling your patience test? Feel free to let me know, and if this resonated, subscribe below so you don’t miss the next post.
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