Intentional Work, LLC

"Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential."
— Winston Churchill: Was an author, soldier, and the U.K. prime minister

There's that persistence thing again. I'm beginning to think there's something to it. (grin)

I'm not so good at consistent, but I am good at continuous effort. I realized that it doesn't always look the same, and the effort may be more than the day before. I guess that's the point Mr. Churchill was getting at - just keep putting one foot in front of the other and see where it takes you.

You don't have to have a Master's Degree or a Mr. Universe sash to live up to your potential. But you DO have to DO something. A little something, continuously, everyday.

I'm wondering if that applies to running. Maybe if I keep doing it 1) I'll learn to like it and 2) I'll get better at it (and therefore learn to like it!). I bet that applies to anything: Yoga, making speeches (or cakes), writing, speaking Spanish, forgiveness and understanding. Yep. I bet it applies to a lot.

What's one thing you can do with continuous effort that would help you unlock some of your potential?

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. ~Mary Pickford, actress

It's Monday, again. Each of us has a new day, a new week (or maybe if it's your birthday, a new year) ahead of us. And at each given moment we can choose to start new. Mary Pickford, an Academy Award winning actress made a big impact on the film industry, and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A woman, a smart woman in the film industry during those time had to be persistent. I'm starting to believe that persistence is really the key to any success.

Think about it. Things only seem impossible until we do them. Man on the moon. Discovering we can break the sound barrier. Gravity. Even learning to tie our shoes when we're little. The really great things, the things we really care about and have passion around aren't always easy. They're hard and when we achieve them, the victory is sweet. The really good goals tend to be hard and we achieve those goals by being persistent.

Of course, it's easier said that done. But that's the definition of persistence isn't it? Continuing to try even when you aren't succeeding. I've recently given clients homework that is was only one tenth of what they thought they should be doing. But I wanted them to gain some confidence and keep the momentum, to learn to be persistent.

Try this - when you feel the most down, the most defeated, the lowest, you do one tiny thing that moves you toward your goal. You'll feel a little better and you'll do another small thing, and that will feel good. Then the next thing you do will be a bit bigger and so on.

Action leads to success. It's the only way. That's the power of persistence.

Where do you need to be persistent? What goal is making you feel low or doesn't feel achievable? What tiny little action can you take to get on the path of persistence?