Patience only works if you do. Doing the work + patience = results. Planning to work + patience = you're just waiting. - James Clear

Ultimately, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally, you become your habits.

Optimize for your desired lifestyle, not your desired title.

Here's a rule I find useful:

You should attempt things that are difficult enough to guarantee some early embarrassment, but important enough that long-term regret is unlikely.

Trying something difficult will usually make you look foolish or inexperienced. That’s fine. That's the cost of learning.

But if it's important to you, then you'll work through the early failures and — even if things ultimately change shape or don't work out — you'll never regret going for it.