I spent a gruelling bank holiday weekend building a defence barrier against a stream at the bottom of our garden with extremely heavy railway sleepers. Fortunately at intermittent times, I had family and friends to add moral and sometimes physical support to see it through to the end.
Yes, I could have employed someone to undertake this task but this was a project I had in mind to complete for the family… and myself!
In this instance, it was physically exhausting but I could see and remained focused on the long term objective and benefit it would bring. Much like in business, I was looking to stop things slipping away in an eventual landslide as a known factor could take control, in this case running water!, if I didn’t see this through.
Perseverance to see things through to the bitter end can be exhausting. If we remain unfocused and unmotivated it can easily be lost. Procrastination steps in to offer her enticing wares to steal you away. Interest can wain and attack the psyche as to how important it now is and conspires with procrastination taking you off the well thought plan.
So how do we battle with these two enemies of our mind? Here are a few guidelines to consider and work with:
- Clarity: Know the reasons for reaching your objective. If unclear, get the clarity you need so you have purpose.
- Intention: Don’t base it on a whim. Work out what and who you need to help achieve it. What is the strategy? Establish the timeline. Not just the end but for each step along the way. In my example, it was utilising friend’s assistance at first laying the foundations so I had to plan the start of the weekend to get their help.
- Recognition: Know and acknowledge what you have achieved against your time frame. The goal is 100% and at the beginning you will be full of energy to reach it. If you get past the middle, the end is in sight. The middle is the tricky area where continued focus and recognition is required. Share your successes with others and have the courage of your own conviction to see it through.
- Live now: All too often we dwell on the past. That has gone and changes cannot be made so live now. Negative memories do not contribute to our moving forward so let them go. Refrain from allowing these emotions or feelings to keep a hold over you.
- Review: Check daily on how you are progressing. What areas need tweaking or have slackened. How well are you doing against targets and celebrate each passing goal reached.
- Regeneration: I learned a long time ago the importance of making time for yourself. Move away from the task or project completely for a spell. Easier said than done when the pressure to complete is mounting but the best thing you can do is take a scheduled break. Do some exercise (I practice martial arts to get my frustrations out, I apologise now to my training partners!). Work on your sleep and what you eat/drink. Listen/read articles based on stress release.
- Optimistic: Remain positive along the journey. Check in with others who know of your objectives and each day, or at least every other day, write a note to yourself on how well you’ve done to date. One client used to write these positive affirmations at the end of each day and stick his successes in a jar. At the end of each month, he would tip them all out to read which helped keep the morale going.
Back to our wall by the stream. It was completed and the sense of achievement still fills me with pride days after having built it and will for some time yet as the garden takes a different form resulting from what has been achieved.
Henry Ford once famously stated “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” So the biggest aid to perseverance is Positive mind talk. In this time of assumed negativity, buck the trend and start thinking positively! See how things start to happen for the better.
If you are feeling downtrodden or your team has lost that spark, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk, where you will be assured a warm, friendly welcome and the chance to discuss ways we can work together to get that drive back once more.
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