Endurance

Endurance

It is time to talk about endurance. It is more important than motivation. This is not about semantics. Endurance is about survival. Endurance is the only road to greatness. 

The Oxford Dictionary defines "motivation' as, "A reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way." Generally, if we remotely like a particular goal, we can find a reason why it should be done. Let's hypothetically suppose I really want to write more articles today. Or maybe I want to publish more content on my web sites. There are lots of reasons or motivations to do this. It is good work experience. It gives people something to read. It is self expression. The list goes on. There will always be reasons why you want to do something. Do you ever not do it anyway? 

Gen Y have motivation coming out of our ears. There is an abundance of motivation. These are the pros. There are also cons. Obstacles appear. We tell ourselves these obstacles are stopping us. But they are not. My obstacles were everything from scheduling, to personal circumstances, to health issues, to plain old anxiety. There is a solution. It is called endurance. 

The same dictionary, Oxford, defines "endurance" as, "The ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way." It also phrases it this way, "The capacity of something to last or to withstand wear and tear." Endurance, pushing on past obstacles, looks very different to motivation. It looks more determined.  

This is not a matter of semantics. It is a matter of achievement. The moment I lose my endurance, that is when achievable goals crumble. The one thing I have in life, no matter what, is endurance. Do not for one second think this will be easy. It means avoiding procrastination, by limiting the amount of time I spend comforting myself by writing self-help blog posts. In all seriousness, endurance is the most difficult thing you will ever attempt. It is crucial.  

Endure.