Sometimes I just wish life would be simpler, but I’ve come to realize, the things that challenge us, help us grow. I laugh when I think of what Bob Proctor said: “If you know what to do to reach your goal, it’s not a big enough goal.” Funny but true!
Trimming the fat around my mid section has been a solid goal of mine for over a year now. It became important to me for several reasons and one of the most important is, I felt it was a reflection of my health not being in tip-top shape. (I wrote a post on this topic.)
I plan to be around as long as possible, to enjoy this gift of a life, and I would say the most emotionally powerful reason for me is that I want to be around for my family and love ones as long as I can.
I’ve been working pretty consistently at it for almost two years and my initial goal was to have it gone by my birthday 5 months ago.
The funny thing about goals is that sometimes we reach them according to plan and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we need to change our plans while keeping out eye’s fixed on a solid goal.
Another goal of mine, and this is a huge one for me, is to develop my business significantly over the next 2 years. I don’t completely know how I’m gonna do it but I have a clear written goal, which I know I will reach.
While I am committed to reaching these goals, and I know it comes down to my personal ability to persist, something that has helped me to persist is having people in my life who are role models, or are on similar journeys and have been around to support me and encourage me through the rough times. I’m so thankful to have that blessing.
I’ve realized something profound though obvious, persistence would not be called persistence if we did not have to persist. This was somehow news to me. Yes, you do have to persist.
The trouble is that often we put in a good run and then decide “It was not meant to be.” That is not persistence. There may have been a fair bit of endurance, which is commendable. I’ve learned two things from my experience.
- The single most outstanding thing attributing to the success of all great achievers is their ability to persist. I believe that each one of us has that potential if we will learn to keep going past that point where we might have given up. I’ll have to do the same.
- Persisting develops our character similar to the way exercise develops our physical bodies. Working towards my fitness goal has given me a visual connection to essential changes in my character which are key to success in my business. (On a side note visualization is an incredible tool in achieving our goals. Check out this post on that topic.)
In any area of your life, where you are serious about what you want to accomplish remember:
- Set a big goal, something that pushes just outside your comfort zone.
- Commit to PERSIST past the challenges and “failures“.
- Surround yourself with friends who can be a support as you work towards you goals and dreams.
- Be willing to adjust your plans while keeping your eyes firmly fixed on your goal.
Questions: What have you always wanted to do, that a little applied persistence could make possible? What tricks do you use to help you stick with something difficult until it’s done? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Click to watch Bob talk about persisting past the “terror barrier”
