Persistence and Patience – Knowing When to Push Forward and When to Wait

Building a career as a Virtual Assistant is a journey that tests both your persistence and your patience. Some days it feels like progress is steady, and other days it feels like nothing is moving at all. Success is rarely instant. It grows from consistent effort, steady belief in your abilities, and the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act.

This lesson is especially important because many new VAs get stuck waiting too long for the “perfect” moment. While patience is a virtue, being overly patient can hold you back. On the other hand, persistence keeps you showing up even when things are slow or difficult. When you combine persistence with the right kind of patience, you set yourself up for long-term growth and stability in your business.

A Personal Reflection

Looking back, I wish I had been more persistent in certain seasons of my career. There were times when I let imposter syndrome convince me to hold back, waiting too long to raise my rates or step into opportunities. I told myself I needed to “be patient” and things would naturally work out. But the truth is, patience without persistence left me stuck.

I now see that persistence, even in small actions, would have moved me forward much faster. Being too patient, especially when I was struggling with my money mindset, meant I allowed fear to stall me. The lesson I carry forward is this: patience is useful when it creates space for growth, but persistence is what actually builds momentum.

The Role of Persistence

Persistence is about continuing to show up for your business even when results are not immediate. As a Virtual Assistant, persistence can look like:

• Reaching out to potential clients even after receiving a “no”
• Continuing to learn and improve your skills when opportunities seem scarce
• Maintaining consistent visibility through social media, networking, or your website

Persistence helps you prove to yourself and to your clients that you are serious about your work. Every time you keep going, you build resilience. That resilience becomes the foundation for the next opportunity.

Persistence is also about creating structure. It’s about having routines that keep your business moving forward when emotions or self-doubt try to slow you down. Whether it’s a weekly commitment to outreach or a daily practice of marketing, persistence provides stability and results over time.

The Role of Patience

Patience, on the other hand, is the ability to wait for your efforts to compound. Building a sustainable VA career is not an overnight process. It takes time to establish credibility, build trust with clients, and see the results of your marketing and networking.

Patience helps you avoid the frustration of expecting instant success. It allows you to stay calm and steady while the seeds you’ve planted begin to grow. For example, a blog post you write today may not bring you clients tomorrow, but six months down the road it could be the reason someone hires you.

Patience keeps you from giving up too soon. It helps you see your journey as long-term rather than expecting everything to happen immediately.

The Balance Between the Two

The challenge is knowing when to be persistent and when to be patient. Too much persistence without patience can lead to burnout. Too much patience without persistence can lead to stagnation.

Here are a few ways to find the balance:

• If you’re consistently showing up and taking action, patience will help you stay the course while waiting for results.
• If you’ve been waiting for things to happen but haven’t been taking action, persistence will help you move forward.
• When fear or imposter syndrome tries to hold you back, persistence is the answer. When results are taking longer than expected, patience is the answer.

Connecting Back to Mindset

This balance between persistence and patience is part of your mindset as a Virtual Assistant. It’s also why Mindset for Successful Virtual Assistants is the foundation of this entire series. The way you think about your business determines whether you keep pushing forward, give up too soon, or wait in place too long.

When you face struggles like imposter syndrome or doubts about your money mindset, persistence can help you step forward in spite of the fear. And when you feel discouraged by slow progress, patience can remind you that results come in time.

Together, persistence and patience create a mindset that is steady, hopeful, and determined.

Practical Ways to Develop Persistence and Patience

• Set clear goals and break them into smaller steps. Each small win keeps you moving forward.
• Track your efforts so you can see progress even if the results aren’t immediate.
• Create systems and routines to help you stay consistent even on difficult days.
• Celebrate milestones along the way.
• Reflect regularly on whether you need more persistence or more patience in your current situation.

A Closing Encouragement

Persistence and patience are not opposites. They work together to help you grow your career with stability and strength. Remember that persistence gets you into motion, while patience helps you hold steady while the results unfold.

Looking back, I wish I had leaned into persistence sooner. But the lessons I learned from waiting too long shaped the way I work now. I encourage you to ask yourself today: where do you need to push forward with more persistence, and where do you need to lean into patience?

Your success will be built on both.