Perseverance

While on vacation last week I was able to witness two amazing performances by two different types of performers. The first included four different motorcycle groups performing synchronized drills. The precision was amazing each group unique in its own way. It was obvious the amount of time, effort and practice each group exercised to hone their skills.

At the end of each performance you could see the joy in their faces as they celebrated their flawless performance. The crowd applauded cheered and whistled at the finale when all four groups rode together blowing their horns and flashing their lights.

The second performance was by Vocal Trash. You may have heard of them or attended one of their performances yourself. I watched and listened as they sang, danced and engaged the audience with their enthusiastic musical message played on instruments made from recycled materials.

Both groups of performers were filled with passion. If you haven’t realized it I am very passionate about people who are passionate about their passion. As I listen to people talk about their passions I can see and feel their passion. I can visual the success of a passionate individual as they express to me their goals as well as their plans to attain them.

The operative words here are passion, goal and plan. In addition to a passion, drive or desire you must set S.M.A.R.T or specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited goals. You must also have an action plan. Any of these by themselves are enough to light a fire but you need the other two to fuel the fire and keep it burning.

Even with the combination of all three there will be times you may think you are wasting your time, will never succeed and if you have made a monetary investment you may feel like you have thrown your money away. It was obvious the performers I watched had passion, a goal and an action plan but there were probably times when thoughts of failure may have crossed their minds just as they may have yours and mine.

What made these performers successful? Perseverance, it’s the same thing that makes anyone successful. I’ve written about commitment and being convinced but no matter how committed you are or how convinced you are you must still have goals and a plan of action to reach your goals. You should invest time and effort daily if possible. Create a weekly plan to reach your overall goal.  If you are unable to commit time daily set aside time on your calendar during the week to commit to your plan. Do not become discouraged if you are unable to keep your commitment one day. Instead if possible increase your effort the next day you have allotted on your calendar so you do not fall behind in your weekly goal. What is your plan this week to take you closer to reaching your goal?