Sarah Arnold-Hall

View Original

Perseverance

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” —Walter Elliott 

I’ve learned if there’s one skill that is absolutely universal to achieving any goal I set, it’s perseverance.
If you always persevere, and never give up, eventually, success is inevitable. It has to be.

Seeing this quote today was a huge aha moment for me.

Honestly, my friends can tell you I’m not always motivated. I often have days where I want to pack it all in and just give up. And on those days, all I do is sit on the couch eating hot chips, watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills #thetruthcomesout


However, what I AM really good at, is losing motivation AND THEN getting motivated again afterward. That feels like what Walter Elliott is talking about here.

Because here's what I do instead of trying to force myself up off the couch:

I try and spark a tiny, micro moment of motivation. It only needs to be for half a second.
And then as soon as I feel it, I act upon that short burst of motivational energy ASAP.
And I do that again and again.
And then I sprint a short race. And then I collapse on the couch again – maybe in 10 minutes, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a week.

And then I get up again.

Fall down seven, get up eight.