Finding your 'why' helps you be persistent
On being persistent
I was having this moment in my kitchen today that I have to share. I'd been thinking a lot lately about persistence and how to translate that to my clients.
What you resist persists, right?
So we have to persist longer and stronger than any resistance we feel. We also must persist longer than any obstacle we face does. Sometimes, we are our worst obstacle. Sometimes, time is our enemy. Or as we say in 12-step fellowships,
"Don't give up before the miracle happens!"
In addition to pondering the art of persistence lately, I've also been thinking about my 'why.' The 'why' behind what we are doing is so important! It keeps us from giving up. If our 'why' is weak or inauthentic, we're definitely going to be giving up before the miracle happens.
The 'why' behind why I've been making changes in my own life lately has been solid enough to keep me persisting in what has arguably been a rough year for me personally so far. My 'why' and I get along pretty well. My 'why' is my baby right now and I'm persisting -- whatever goes awry, whatever setbacks I've had. I just keep plugging away. Can't abandon my baby!
So is your 'why' that solid?
Is your 'why' solid enough to keep you persistent in sickness and in health? When emergencies come along, can you still keep plugging away because your 'why' sits there on your shoulder nagging at you, like,
"Remember me? I'm your 'why' and I'm pretty awesome, so there's no way you're giving up on me."
Work on your 'why.'
Your 'why' must be clear, strong, and powerful.
Here's a low-key example from my kitchen today.
I love my Crock Pot. My cousin mentioned our family recipe for mac n' cheese on Facebook the other day and I've been craving it ever since. (Damn her). So while my family makes our mac a certain way in the oven, I do it another way. I doctor it quite a bit and I make it in the Crock Pot.
In order to get this process rolling, I first had to scrub out the last meal from the Crock Pot which had been Peruvian BBQ pork, so I had a considerable ring to scrub.
AND I MEAN S-C-R-U-B!
A strong WHY helps you be PERSISTENT; Your PERSISTENCE helps you reach your goal.
I'm scrubbing this Crock Pot today like my damn life depends on it. Really, it's my mac n' cheese that depends on it. But my mac was my 'why' in this case. I had a clear, strong, and powerful 'why'! I wanted my delicious mac n' cheese for dinner! That's the kind of 'why' that kept me scrubbing a Crock Pot with a vengeance on a Saturday.
So what is your mac n' cheese?
Is that mac n' cheese powerful enough to keep you scrubbing a Crock Pot clean?
What you are doing (cooking) may not be as important as the 'why' (mac n' cheese) behind it.
Do you need help finding that 'why' that will keep you persistent on your hardest days? The days you feel like giving up? The days you wipe tears, pound fists, or rip up pages of ideas? Because there will days like that when you are working toward whatever your dream is.