Perseverance isn’t a gift or talent, like being an artist or mathematician.
Perseverance is a character quality we have to develop. It’s a learning process, which means we won’t always be perfect. It can be frustrating at times, but it is undoubtedly worth it. Just like developing patience or endurance, we don’t just get those qualities because we want them. They have to be developed. And the only way to develop them is to be placed in situations in which they can be cultivated.
Many of you may be familiar with the name, John Maxwell. He is a very well-known author, international speaker and pastor. He has written numerous books, primarily focusing on leadership. He has sold millions of copies, many of which have been on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Over the years, Maxwell has written some great things about perseverance, and he provides very helpful strategies on how to develop it in a practical way. His approach is not just how to achieve it, but how to eliminate the enemies of perseverance – or how to eliminate the things that get in our way of achieving long-term success.
The first enemy we want to eliminate is A Lifestyle of Giving Up.
There’s no doubt that giving up is the easy thing to do in many situations, especially when we’ve been programmed to want to take the easy route. However, taking the difficult path will allow us to see our goals come to full fruition, and thereby create an increased sense of confidence and accomplishment needed to tackle even greater things.
The second enemy of perseverance is A Wrong Belief that Life Should be Easy.
Having the right expectations going into anything is half the battle. While it may be common to think that life shouldn’t be so difficult, our expectations don’t always match reality. We can either give up, or we can dig in and get down in the trenches. Perseverance is choosing the trenches.
Another enemy of perseverance is A Wrong Belief that Success is a Destination.
That’s because, according to Maxwell, success isn’t a destination. Rather, it’s a path we choose to walk down each day. Each day! Every day that we wake up, we get to choose the path we are going to take. The path of least resistance will never move us forward. As soon as we no longer think we need to work to make progress, we will start to lose ground. This is true in everything.
A fourth enemy of perseverance is A Lack of Resiliency.
We can’t allow feelings to dictate our decisions. Do the right thing and the feelings will follow. You simply cannot let discouraging moments break you. Instead, determine to become resilient. By persevering through tough times and meeting your struggles head on, you will have the ability to go beyond your goals.
Finally, the 5th enemy of perseverance is A Lack of Vision.
People who display perseverance keep a larger vision in mind as they toil away at their goals or profession. They see in their mind’s eye what they want to create or to do, and they keep working toward it as they labor. Having a vision will give you the conviction that your dream can actually be achieved. It will inspire you with encouragement and a pathway to accomplish your goal.
Take the time to think through which of these 5 enemies is hindering your ability to persevere, and how or why, because once you identify your stronghold, you will be able to rise above your situation and accomplish your goal. This is a very important step, because you can’t defeat an enemy that you can’t recognize or identify.