Your Perseverance Will Pay Off

Yesterday, I went for a jog to de-stress from all the bills I have to pay this month. I was trying to brainstorm about some possible solutions to increase my income, ASAP. I am aware that stressing out about bills is NOT a solution to increasing my income, apparently jogging doesn’t help pay the bills either!
As I was running, the concept of ‘perseverance’ kept coming to mind. I was reminded about a time back in 1993 when I was starting my private practice. I remember on the way home from work one night thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing? I can’t even pay my bills in this career. I go to school to get a Master’s degree in Counseling, and I made more money waitressing with no education!”
Fortunately, I stuck with being a counselor, because I loved it and I knew I didn’t want to be a waitress my whole life. Looking back, all my basic needs of food, shelter and clothing were still met the first several years of building a practice. As I stayed the course in spite of financial difficulties, obstacles and doubts, my practice grew and with that my income grew. Fifteen years later, I had a couple of offices, several employees and so many clients, I was booked out for six weeks at a time!
Now, two years into a new writing career that I love, I was hearing those same old thoughts from 1993 in my head.
I began to recall many of the important things I have in my life today. I have them because I persevered through the doubt, through the financial insecurity, through the unknown.
Take time to look back at your own successes, whether it was completing school, or having a long-term relationship, or raising children or purchasing a home, or managing an illness, or moving up in your career, etc. Note how perseverance played a significant role. Also , think back on times when you did not persevere through difficulties. What was the outcome?
Here are some tips that are helpful in persevering:
• Write down your goals and put them where, you can read them everyday. Visualize the outcome.
• When you have disappointing outcomes, find solutions, rather than surrendering to defeat.
• Know that all of our successes happen because of the time and energy we put into them.
• Timing isn’t always up to us. Be patient.
• Verbally tell people what your goal is so you can be accountable.
• Work on your goal several days a week, so that you have continuous movement toward progress.
• De-stress to clear your mind and gain perspective.
• Continue to educate yourself and increase your skills that are specific to succeeding with your goal.
• Don’t allow outward conditions to shift you from doing your souls purpose.
• Encourage yourself, encourage yourself, encourage yourself!
“If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend.”
– Joseph Addison
Please feel free to share your perseverance stories with me and others to inspire and encourage us in staying the course during life’s obstacles. Your perseverance will pay off!

written with perseverance by Elisabeth Davies, MC
www.brightalternatives.com