Per·se·ver·ance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. 

Also known as: what you need if you plan to make it. No matter what journey you're on, if you plan on being successful you need perserverance. There's no way around it. Because there will come times where you feel like what you're attempting is impossible for you, and perseverance is the only thing that will keep you going. 

So let's take a moment to talk about what perseverance is NOT...

Perseverance is NOT comparable

You can't compare the next person's hustle to yours. Just because your friend reached their goal after 2 years doesn't mean your time investment will be the same. You might have to push through for 5 years before you see any strides towards your own goals. Just because Oprah took route X to reach the platform she has now doesn't mean route X will work for you.

Perserverence is just not comparable. Your goals should be your own. Your efforts are your own. Your journey is your own. The moment you start to compare these things to someone else's is the moment you begin to set yourself up for failure, I can promise you that.

Hustle at your own pace and focus on your own path. If someone else reached their goals in a matter of 6 months, it doesn't mean at month 7 you should throw in the towel if you haven't reached yours. Perseverence doesn't work that way.

Check the definition above; perseverance is pushing through your own difficulties for as long as it takes YOU. 

Perserverance is not deterred by excuses

If you've tried something ONE time in ONE way and given up when it didn't pan out, I'm sorry but you haven't persevered.

You tried, yes. But trying does not equate to persevering. Trying is simply a portion of persevering, but it's not the whole pie. Perseverance is continuing on the path even when a roadblock like failure plops itself right in the middle of your way. It means coming up with a plan, trying it (and possibly failing), then going back to square 1 to try a different route. And if that route fails, perseverance is finding a back road. Or an underpass. Or a bridge. Whatever. 

Mainly, perseverance is realizing that there are multiple ways to reach your goal, and just because the first way you picked didn't work out doesn't mean the other ways are null and void. 

Let's not forget the doubt that keeps you from even trying. We've all heard (and sometimes, held on to) the excuses that keep us from even starting in the first place. 

"I'm not prepared/ready."
"I don't have the time."
"I don't have the resources/money."
"I'm so bad at ______________."
"I'm not good enough."
"No one cares about what I have to say/share."

Sound familiar? At some point we've all probably fallen into the trap of allowing these excuses to hold us back. But guess what? If perseverance is the hero of our story, excuses are the antagonists that perseverance must overcome to succeed. So if you're letting excuses stop you from pursuing something you want, you're not persevering. 

So what is perseverance?

Perseverance is the determination to keep pushing even when it seems like your goal is unattainable for you. It's trying something, failing, but not letting that deter you from trying again.

Perseverance is taking a step back when things aren't progressing to see where you can make some tweaks, then stepping back up to the plate and swinging again.

Perseverance is vital if you want to see your dreams come to fruition. Whatever those dreams may be.