7 Ideas to Develop Perseverance

Perseverance:  continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

I walked on water yesterday.  It helped that there was a layer of ice six inches thick on the lake.  Next on my list for the New Year is moving mountains.  The biggest mountain in my life is debt.  Like a volcano, it erupts without warning, spewing ashes and adding unwanted layers of liabilities.  I resolve to level this mountain.

If you are desiring to move mountains in your life, here are seven ideas to develop the perseverance you will need to accomplish your goals:

1. Survey the situation.  Measure the size of your mountain of debt, the amount of weight you want to lose, or the magnitude of the problem you want to solve.
2. Put your action plan in writing.  In my household, we cut out pictures at the beginning of each new year and put them on posters so we can look at them every day.  The pictures and phrases are reminders of our goals.  I plan to put a picture of Mary Ann, the steam shovel from "Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel", in the center of my vision board.  She will be chomping away at my mountain of bills every day until the job is complete.
3. Don't stop believing.  I like to listen to the YouTube video below to remind be about keeping the faith, especially when the volcano erupts.
4. Don't stop working.  In order to live the dream, you need to keep attacking the obstacle in front of you.  Do a little bit every day until the mountain is leveled.
5. Change your habits.  Yesterday, my children wanted me to take them to the movies.  Instantly, I saw a mental picture of my volcano of debt erupting.  Even matinees are expensive.  I replied, "let's go to the lake.  There's some big hills there and we can go sledding."
6. Keep thinking about how your life will be once you move your mountain.
7. Chart your progress.  I plan to map out my results at the end of each month.  Mary Ann is going to be one busy steam shovel.

I promise to be here every day.  Writing is no longer a goal for me, it's a way of life.  So is perseverance.  It's a matter of climbing in my steam shovel and taking a bite out of the mountain.  Who says walking on water and moving mountains is impossible?  Not me.  I'm living the dream.  Are you with me?