Sunday, January 8, 2012

Day 8: Perseverance...


This whole issue with my laptop is coming to a head.  I've been at it for several days now and I'm at the point that I'm moving all essential data to a backup drive and will try to run a recovery utility to save this machine.  I'm refusing to run to Geek Squad to pay $200 just to have them look at it before they actually do anything to fix it.  I will get through this.  The problem will be resolved.  I'm not about to give up now.

It's my opinion that a lot of folks have trouble with perseverance, trouble seeing things through to the end.  I think the problem with persevering is that for many it includes the option for quitting.  Removing that option makes persevering much easier.  It's a method I learned in the Army, a place where one is afforded very few if any real choices.  When ordered to perform a task, the Army never gave me an "out".  The task, condition and standard were all well defined and quitting was NEVER a condition of accomplishment.  What a blessing that was!  I didn't have to expend ANY energy on mulling over whether or not I should quit when the task became difficult.  The Army took away that option.  At that point I could focus all my energies on getting the mission accomplished.  It's a habit I've continued to indulge long after I hung up the uniform.  Simply put, quitting is a distraction.

I'm sure you might be thinking this is a rather unhealthy way of doing things.  I'm not suggesting that we exercise this absolutism to everything we do in life.  We obviously shouldn't endure through poisonous situations like bad relationships or bad jobs, things that could be deemed physically or emotionally unhealthy for us.  But Perhaps the trouble some of us have is over committing, promising too much to ourselves and to others.  It's the primary reason I don't commit to much.  But what I do commit to, I do so unconditionally.

So let me leave you with one suggestion - commit to what is truly important to YOU and let go of everything else.  Hang on to what defines you and commit to it with total resolve.

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