Active vs. Passive Waiting

I will be the first to admit it, I AM IMPATIENT.  But, I am getting better!  I have discovered something about waiting ~ it seems to me as though there are two types of waiting.  There is active waiting, in which you are actively working towards the goal as you wait.  I would classify a wedding as a good example.  You get engaged, you set a wedding date and you start planning, right?  You know the date of the wedding, your deadline and you work doing what you need to do during that time frame for the upcoming date.  That is active waiting, you are working towards the deadline/goal while you wait for it to approach.  THIS is the kind of waiting I prefer, thank you.

Then, there is passive waiting.  Just typing that makes me want to scream, yell, stop & make the gag motion by sticking my finger down my throat.  For a goal-oriented, action-oriented, performing person, this kind of waiting downright STINKS!  {Want to know how I really feel?}  IT is the HARDEST type for me.  The kind of waiting, where you know something is coming, but you don't know when, you don't know why, you don't know how and worst of all, you don't know what you are supposed to do while you are in this big bubble of unknown.  I would list selling a house as this type of waiting.  You know you want to sell your house, so you list it {hopefully you have a great agent who will give you suggestions of things to do before it goes "live" on the market. You know, touch ups, cleaning, organizing, staging, etc.}  So, you do those things, the sign goes in the yard......then......YOU WAIT.  You wait for the phone to ring for your first showing.  Hooray!  They called, you have a showing.  You get the house in pristine shape, evacuate the troops {if necessary} and find somewhere to go {or drive around the neighborhood, stalking...nah!}, and WAIT.  You then WAIT for feedback.  WAIT to see if this party wants to see it again.  If they do, you try your best to not really live in the house until the next showing {which with children is virtually impossible, just sayin'}.  You have said showing, then you WAIT.  WAIT to hear if they want to see it again, if they want to make an offer, or if they crossed your home off their list.  You WAIT and you can do NOTHING towards the desired goal/outcome as you do it.  Partially because you don't know when the said goal/deadline is happening.  It is yet another UNKNOWN.  Lovely, eh?  

All this to say I prefer to keep busy, distracted and in motion as I wait.  Thus, active waiting is preferred to me.  Does this mean I'm a control freak?  Probably.  This isn't news to me, but I do know I've gotten better in this area.  Progress not perfection, right?  So, now it's your turn to talk to me about YOUR waiting style.....GO!  {And, you better not make me wait, LOL!}