Gift of Persistence

​What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word "persistence"?
 
I would guess the word itself does little to get your blood pumping. It implies hard work and patience. It reminds us that all those things we would love to achieve in our own lifetime won't happen through sheer luck. Darn.
 
Practicing persistence and tenacity can be a grind.
 
The word persistence is defined as "firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition."
 
So why do I even bring up the topic of persistence if it makes you cringe when you read the first few lines of today's post?
 
Because life has taught me the beauty of what can be achieved through persistence.
 
If I just showed up here, every week, and tried to encourage and inspire you to work towards whatever it is you want to accomplish, but never reminded you that it'll take a boatload of hard work to pull it off, I'd only be sharing half the story. Starting something is easy. Believe me, I've done my fair share of that. The real test comes when the excitement wears off, the finish line is far off in the distance, and there are plenty of roadblocks in-between.
 
We increase our odds of success if we go into something with our eyes wide open and try to prepare for the tough days. Give yourself the tools that can help you press on even when you don't feel like it.
 
Ways to make it easier to persist:

• Clearly define what it is you want. Understand why you want it. 
• Decide what steps you need to take each and every day to make progress.
• Make doing those daily things a habit.
• When you stumble, give yourself grace. Stand back up, brush yourself off and start again.
• Surround yourself with people that understand and support you.
• Ignore those that don't appreciate your vision, your journey, or you.
• Some days you just have to be stubborn.
• Keep doing what needs to be done. Decide never to disappoint yourself.
• Never quit. Too many people quit when the going gets tough, and it’s often toughest right before a breakthrough.

​Remember, it's what you do behind the scenes when no one else is watching that will determine whether or not you accomplish whatever you set out to do. Put your head down, do what needs to be done, make it fun when you can, power through the mundane things, and then come up for air. See if you've made progress, adjust as needed, put your head back down, and do it again.
 
One year ago, I enjoyed an evening with a local book club. Even though it was a small group, three of us in the room were local, published authors. We compared notes and found we'd all gotten to that point following different paths, but we were all able to hold a physical book we'd each written in our hands. What I find so encouraging is that one year later, each of us has published another book. That takes persistence!
 

Congratulations to Laetitia Mizero Hellerud on her new book "Turning Points: True Stories of Thriving Through Adversity" and to Jeff Kolpack for publishing "North Dakota Tough." Their work is indeed full of inspiring stories.
 
I write novels and a weekly blog in addition to working a full-time job because I enjoy it.
 
No…wait…that isn't quite right. I do it because I love both the writing and the business end of publishing books. I put in early mornings and late nights, writing in the nooks and crannies of my days because I have a vision of where I want to go with my newfound passion. It won't happen overnight, and it won't be easy. But it'll be worth it.
 
What is it you want to do or become, in the months and years ahead? I hope you realize you have the power to make it happen if you commit and persist. It may take a long time, but the time will pass anyhow, so make it count.
 
Cheering on your tenacity!   Kim