As I’ve been thinking about perseverance this week, it’s occurred to me how much goes into the act of persevering. It’s a pretty broad bucket, really.

Persevering – and this is courtesy of a reader who emailed me after reading A Little Nut – requires a goal. We do have to know where we’re headed if we hope to stick to the trail.

It requires movement. One can’t persevere if the journey doesn’t begin at all. Make the mark.

Of course, patience is required. Reaching goals takes time and for that, we need to call upon this virtue and remind ourselves that slow and steady often does win the race.

Throwing in some balance can be a good thing too. While being a little nutty about getting to our goals might be OK; overdoing it can become obsession and that will hurt more than can be gained.

Additionally, there are also a few things that may not be required; however, they can make the journey more enjoyable. I’m thinking about things like recognition of milestones and rejoicing in progress made. Sharing our journey with those who support us and letting them know how integral they are to our success. And learning from setbacks and accomplishments can sometimes be as rewarding as the reaching the goal itself.

Now as I persevere, I’ll remember that I’m calling upon many different skills, values and experiences to stay on my path. In recognizing this and narrowing it down, perseverance seems a little less daunting; a little more doable; a lot more possible.