The Power of Perseverance

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day... (Exodus 20:11)

This is one of my favorite bible verses because it demonstrates the importance of commitment to hard work and perseverance needed to bring things to fruition. I like it because it shows how even God had to stay committed to working hard. He didn't rest until his work was completed. Only AFTER he was FINISHED creating the world, did He rest on the seventh day as explained below:

• God STARTED and FINISHED His work of creating the universe
• God RESTED on the seventh day because His creation work was FINISHED
• God BLESSED the seventh day and He rested

Upon reflection, there are some important leadership lessons here:

1.    Finishing what we start

Just because we are busy, doesn't mean we are getting things done. We need to maintain our commitment to what we are doing in order to bring things to completion, even if it's not always easy. Rest is a reward for getting the job done. 

"What people remember is the beginning and the end...how we start, and how we finish...therefore start fast and FINISH STRONG." Gary Ryan Blair

2.     Staying the course

One of the reasons I like the above verse so much is because it illustrates the power and importance of perseverance. It doesn't say He changed his mind or changed His plans, or He got too tired to finish and gave up. He stayed the course and finished what He started. By staying the course, you too can achieve great things. 

"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about." Sir Winston Churchill.    

3. Being productive

Being busy doesn't always mean we are being productive. How many times have you said to yourself I've been busy all day, but I don't know what I really accomplished? Being effective and achieving tangible results requires determining real priorities. You must develop a plan that outlines the steps necessary to realize your objectives. When you have a clear vision of your objectives, your plan becomes your roadmap to completion and success. It provides clarity. If you follow your roadmap, you don't get derailed by distractions along the way. Your roadmap keeps you focused, thereby increasing your productivity. 

"Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things." Peter Drucker

4.    Trusting the process

There are five key steps to the process of success:

• Clarity of the vision
• Planning
• Hard work
• Commitment
• Completion.  

Follow these steps and you will get massive results. 

"Perfection has to do with the end product, but excellence has to do with the process." Jerry Moran

5.    Working hard

Hard work comes before success. Life is uphill-- anything worthwhile requires hard work and has a price. It is only through hard work and the determination that you can complete what you start, that you will enjoy the sense of fulfillment and will achieve results. 

"Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."  Kevin Durant

6.     Rest, Re-energize, and Reconnect

It's important to reconnect to ourselves and our spiritual source in order to replenish our energy and feel content. Being refreshed and connected gives us the energy to see things through until we have finished what we started and reached our goals. Review the rule of five, one of the life changing daily habits. 

"Perhaps the earth can teach us, as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive." Pablo Neruda

7.    Paying the price

Blessings come to those who pay the price of hard work. By persevering and staying committed to overcoming your challenges and completing whatever task is at hand, you experience the gratification of real accomplishment. Everything has a price to pay. Are you willing to pay it? 

"A price has to be paid for success. Almost invariably those who have reached the summits worked harder and longer, studied and planned more assiduously, practiced more self-denial, overcame more difficulties than those of us who have not risen so far."  B. C. Forbes

According to Scranton University, 92 percent of people never achieve their goals. So now that we are already in the second half of this year, what can you do to become part of of the 8% of achievers who will experience the gratification and fulfillment of realizing their goals? It's time to START living our lives to the fullest. The time is NOW. Stay precise, laser-focused and single-minded until the project is completed.

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