Do it Anyway and Don’t Look Back
Persistence and perseverance are the key ingredients that will drive you in the direction of your chosen path, goals or pursuits in life. These two traits are able to be harnessed through confidence, faith, self-encouraging thoughts and spoken words. In every personal or professional circumstance that you find yourself in, perseverance and persistence will benefit you. They are entirely self-reliant qualities that are at your disposal, waiting for you to tap into.
You have hopefully sustained enough motivation to keep going after what you want. It may be the family you have always wanted. It may be your dream job, college degree, purchasing a house or living somewhere that you always wanted to be. The journey is where we concentrate all of our efforts, though so much thought is necessary in determining our glorious end state — the prize for all of our sweat and toil.
Don’t Look Back
One time per week, reflect on what you’ve accomplished, the status of your relationships and whether you feel you’re moving forward. See how that measures up with what you set out to do. Assess your goals to make sure they fit within the plan you have put together. But in between, just focus on executing and doing so with joy. Enjoy the moment, do all the things necessary to get what you want and savor the energy put into that.
Don’t look back. It’s not worth it. During the journey, when you stop too long to reflect and praise yourself, you fall into a trap. You grow complacent. Complacency stunts growth both intellectually and spiritually and wars against what we aim to accomplish. Complacency is the state of mind that can destroy ambition and knock us down.
“Of all the possible avenues of life there are to live for, complacency should be viewed as the switch that killed the will to build.” — Gillis Triplett
I recently finished the first draft of my first book. This was a goal literally six and-a-half years in the making. This was a dream for a lifetime. I know that it’s been exactly six and-a-half years because in March of 2010, I took the time to write out all the things that I wanted to have and do in my life that, at the time, I did not have. Most important to me were getting married and starting a family. I’ve been blessed to have those two things become reality.
Next was to write a book. So I started writing in journals and notepads while at the beach, on the subway, train, in the car during road trips, in bed and 30,000 feet above the world on planes. I created Word documents full of all the words, feelings and inspiring thoughts that had been on my mind and were desperate to be captured on paper and digital.
Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” — Napoleon Hill
I kept going because it was a dream and it while it took time with a full-time job, child, moves and family obligations, I kept going. I did it anyway because I made sure that absolutely nothing would or ever will stand in the way of my dreams and what I desire to be.
Yet as crazy as this may seem, I hesitate, even slightly, to call this an accomplishment. Why? Because there’s still work to be done. There’s editing, MORE editing and ultimately a publisher to find. There’s a cover design to decide on and greater marketing preparation. I’m grateful with the strides I’ve made but I know that if I want the best product, I can’t look back. I can always do more and improve.
Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou
The times that I’ve settled on a specific total of output, a state of mind or place in life, I’ve lost ground. That’s my main message to you: Don’t settle. Don’t think you’ve arrived. That’s not to say I’m advocating that you live a restless life. Far from it. Practice continuous improvement in your actions but first, plant that seed in your mind so that you convert this into an ethos for your life.
Do it Anyway
I think often about the verses to follow. They are credited to Mother Teresa who was recently canonized, thus made a saint by the Catholic Church. Mother Teresa is known for her kindness, generosity and her brave works in an effort to help the poor. Hers is a lesson in perseverance, hope and dedication to others.
The more I’ve read these verses, I’ve learned that they’ve meant different things to me at particular stages in my life. Now, I think of them in context of perseverance and fortitude. I think of the strides that I want all of us to make in our lives: Strides in the face of doubt, adversity and long odds. These verses are an ode to continuous improvement, betterment and fulfillment.
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway” — credited to Mother Teresa
We should always give our best and a great way to ensure this is by placing our belief in the values, morals and goals that we dedicate ourselves to accomplishing. For God’s sake, write out the dreams of your heart and the goals that you want to accomplish!!
Right Ahead of You
Put them in front of you and leave them visible in places where you cannot possibly ignore them. This way, you will see them all throughout the day. When you have the time during your busy day, devote however many minutes or hours you have to seeing these through and believing in them.
Others don’t believe in you? Do it anyway. Doubt yourself from time to time? KEEP GOING. Find yourself wasting the little bit of free time that you have? Get off your butt and start creating and doing.
Live with abundance like you already have what you desire and you will never be defeated. It will become that much easier to design your future. Just don’t look back. Everything that you want is right ahead of you if you keep going.
When you believe, there is a drive and a power that emanates from inside of you that is perpetually moving forward, lifting you to keep going. This spirit will not be denied its end-state. I believe this is the achievement of our goals, the pinnacle of self-actualization, a form of human perfection that we can all attain if we keep our eyes on the prize and dedicate ourselves.
Keep the Momentum Going
Join my newsletter and discover how I help high-achieving business professionals achieve the biggest results of their life.
Also, check out my bestselling book, The Value of You.
