When you are the parent of a toddler, you may not be in agreement that persistence is a good quality. You can easily bring to mind the times that you have said, “No” to something and that two-year-old kept asking again and again in the hopes that your answer would change. “Boy is he persistent,” I would think in those days. Truth be told, that quality in your child is a sign that he/she will be able to have the tenacity to reach success in his/her adulthood. So hang in there, it gets better, I promise.
Persistence is a habit. We can train ourselves to be persistent in going after what we want in life. It will take an enormous amount of willpower and effort to develop this habit, but once developed, you will find it easier to accomplish your long-term goals.
Now don’t get me wrong, as in the example above, sometime persistence can be downright annoying to others. If you are a person who is persistent in attaining your goal of exercising every day and your spouse wants to make other plans, your persistence may aggravate them. It is important to communicate why we are being so persistent with a particular behavior or goal and hopefully this communication will lead to understanding on their part.
If not, remember, the only person you can change is yourself. You may not get another person to buy in to your goals and aspirations. You may need to make a decision that this is something you will be doing alone, and that is okay.
This practice is a marathon, not a sprint. In trying to change our behaviors, we need to make small efforts each day toward our goal. If you want to lose 50 lbs., you are not going to start by thinking you’ll lose it all in a week or a month. Commit to making a small change and stick with it every day and you will have the results you are looking for. Same reasoning should be applied to developing habits of working toward all of our goals. Slow and easy!
Be patient with yourself. If you have a day where you don’t progress, that is part of the process. Give yourself a break and continue where you left off. If you are looking for a new job, keep researching and finding new ways of connecting with potential employers. With the internet and social media, the choices are endless. The perfect job will be yours if you are persistent in your search.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Life is the journey, not the destination. I have heard of so many people working solely for their retirement, counting down the days. It’s like they are tortured daily in their job. Then shortly after they accomplish this goal, get sick and even die. Focus on your path making sure that what you do each day is something that brings you joy and fulfillment while bringing you closer to your goals. I am not suggesting quitting your job, but you need to find a way to put joy into your every day.
I would imagine that every job has its aspects that are less than appealing to us. It is true that we need to get through these things in order to reap the benefits we desire and accomplish our ultimate goal.
Don’t give up, be persistent and there will come a day you are happy you did.
Organizing, Growing, and Finding Peace Together 