Persevere To Reach Your Goal

I’ve been writing my first novel for quite a while now. Actually, long enough that those people close to me and who care, are beginning to think I’m never going to complete it. I admit it has been a more challenging project than I ever imagined. Some people seem to effortlessly churn out story after story, but I know there is no “effortlessly” when it comes to writing.

Writing is hard work.

It takes a lot of perseverance to complete a project as lengthy as writing a novel. So what exactly does it mean to persevere?

The definition of persevere is to stay steady on course through difficulties and obstacles.

Shortly after beginning the novel, my marriage slammed into a block wall and disintegrated. After picking myself up from that unforeseen disruption, I shook off the dust and debris, cleared my head, and continued to write and to study the craft of writing despite moving to a new house, raising a teenage son, and learning to manage my finances on one income.

Because I work full time in accounting, the weekends are usually the only time that I can write. If I lose writing time then it is difficult to make it up during the week unless I give up my lunch break and write, which I’ve done, or give up a couple to three hours of sleep to write, which I’ve done. Perseverance. It’s a painful, exhausting word. But it produces rewards.

I set out to write a novel, but in the process I’ve been drawn to other types of writing that have produced fruit along the way, one of which is this blog. Writing for the blog keeps my writing muscle strengthened and provides a way to communicate with my readers! And though I take time to write for this blog as well as pen a devotion now and then, still, I plug along on the novel, slow and steady, plotting, writing, re-writing, editing, and writing some more. Perseverance pushes me through the derailments, distractions, detours, and discouragements.

So how do you develop perseverance?

I believe perseverance requires three things: A made-up mind, grit, and vision.

1.  A made-up mind

I often think of the story of Daniel and his struggles as a young captive in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 1:8 (NASB) the author states “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank.” The NIV version says he “resolved not to defile himself” and the NKJV version says “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.”

If you make up your mind to accomplish something, then you will be less likely to succumb to weariness, discouragement and road blocks. A made-up mind is not easily deterred. The young man, Daniel, was rewarded for his faithfulness to God in his determination not to eat the king’s food that had been sacrificed to idols. If he had not resolved ahead of time to avoid the food, he would have been more likely to cave when hunger gnawed at him. Although Daniel had made up his mind not to do something, a made-up mind works the same way when you determine to do something.

2. Grit

Grit is the muscle behind a made-up mind. It is the strength of character and endurance needed to plow forward through obstacles that inevitably come between you and your goal. Grit requires a fortitude of spirit, a hunkering down. Many times grit is born from desire. In the above example, Daniel’s desire to please God was what kept him steady on his course. In other words, it boils down to how desperately you want to accomplish something.

3. Vision

Perseverance is for the long haul. Envisioning the outcome of a goal sets the tone for success because vision gives a glimpse of the reward and whets the appetite for a soul that will not be satisfied until the reward is experienced. If you don’t know where you want to be at the end of whatever project you are working on as Yogi Berra is quoted as saying, “You might end up somewhere else.”

So, how desperate are you to accomplish your writing project or any other goal that you have set for yourself? Do you really want it badly enough to continue working toward it come what may? I encourage you to write down your vision so that when the journey gets long or you get tired or obstacles roll onto your path in front of you, you will be able to see the end result ahead and keep working toward your goal.