For the big stuff of life, how do you differentiate between being patient and being complacent?

Question

I'm impatient when I want something to happen in life (I'm talking big stuff, like career, not waiting for a traffic light), but I'm trying to change that, without considering myself lazy.

Answer 1

To me, being complacent is being accepting of the status quo - not caring if things change or not. And some people might consider that lazy. But I think it's pretty normal to be impatient about moving forward in your life, especially when it comes to education, career, family. It's good to have goals, but one strategy you might try is to try and find the positives in your current situation. Life is all about change; things are going to change whether you're complacent or lazy or impatient. So you might as well enjoy the good things you got going now. They'll change, too. That's not being lazy - that's just being appreciative.