Find Patience Like a Chef

Patience is tough—especially in the kitchen, where waiting feels optional. I’ve been completely full by the time I finished cooking a meal, just from all the tasting. I’ve thrown ingredients into the pot too soon, turned the heat up too high, or skipped steps because I was too impatient to wait. But every time I rush, I realize something: the food isn’t as good as it could have been.

I’ve made lasagna using the recipe on the box of noodles. The first few times, it took me hours—I wasn’t used to juggling so many components for one dish. But when it came out, I got a great reaction from the people I shared it with. And even better? It was my favorite lasagna. I liked it more than any I’d ever paid for or had in a restaurant. Turns out, patience doesn’t just make the process smoother—it makes the result better, too.

Chefs understand this very well. They know that time and heat transform ingredients. A sauce needs to simmer. Dough needs to rest. Flavors need time to develop. Rushing doesn’t just make a dish different—it makes it incomplete.

And life works the same way. If I try to force things before they’re ready—whether it’s a conversation, a skill, or a decision—it rarely turns out the way I want. But when I give things time, when I let them settle, the outcome is almost always better.

Lately, I’ve been working on patience in the smallest ways—waiting a moment before speaking instead of jumping in, slowing down when I read so I don’t have to go back and re-read the same sentence, taking a breath before reacting.

Patience is a skill, not just a trait. It’s something we can build. And like a slow-cooked meal, the time we put into it makes all the difference.

Like they say in the military: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. And just like in the kitchen, patience in life isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about knowing when to wait, when to trust the process, and when to let things come together in their own time. The best results are worth it.

Patience is something we can build. It starts with small shifts—pausing before responding in a conversation, slowing down instead of rushing through a task, letting a moment settle before jumping to fix it. Practicing in little ways helps strengthen patience where it matters most. Like a good dish, patience takes time to develop. The more we practice it, the better the result.

ACTION: Find one small moment today to practice patience. Let a conversation breathe before jumping in, take your time preparing a meal, or resist the urge to rush through a task. Notice how slowing down changes the experience—and the result.

Find Patience Like a Chef

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