Author, H. Besser, in his book, “Perseverance:
How To Develop It,” shares a Norwegian fable
about a man who left his hometown to rejoin
his fiancée. They were to get married when
he arrived.
On the way he chose to take a different route
because the direct route to his fiancée was
boring and lacked adventure. Eventually, the
man forgot about his original objective of
meeting his fiancée and spent years on a
journey to “no where.” More years passed before
he realized how far he was off of his original
path.
As he retraced his steps to get back, his
fiancée stopped waiting and married another.
By the time the man reached his original
destination, he was much older, alone and
poor and had nothing to show for his long journey.
Here are 6 things you and I can learn about
perseverance from the man in the
Norwegian fable:
1. Know what you want to achieve as it relates
to your health and stay focused on it.
The goal of the man in the fable was to
meet his fiancée in another town
to get married. The key to identifying and
achieving your goals and dreams is to know what
you really want. For example, you decide to
take advantage of the free six-month health
club membership you won at your company’s picnic
because you’re appreciative of the gift. However,
the results of your annual physical showed that
you should lose about 20 pounds. What you really
want is to look and feel healthier by lowering
your cholesterol and getting your body toned.
Know what you want and stay focused on it.
2. Expect distractions along your journey to the
goal and dream you desire. The man in the fable
knew the direct route to get to his fiancée, but
chose an alternate route because the one he was
on was boring and monotonous. In time that road
became boring too and he was looking for another
route. If you don’t keep your goal in mind, it’s
easy to stay in bed when it’s raining or
snowing outside even though you told yourself
you’re going to the gym three times a week
to tone up to feel healthier.
When distractions come, have a plan of action to
counteract the distraction. Your plan of attack
could include an accountability partner, mentor
or coach. It could also be to say your goal aloud
to affirm what you want to achieve throughout
the day. Know what you want and stay focused on it.
3. Take the time to think about why you want to
achieve your goal. The man in the fable was more
concerned about the journey than the reason for
arriving at his destination. Your reason for
accomplishing something must be big enough to
keep you focused on the direct route regardless
of what is going on around you. In our example,
ask yourself why do you want to feel healthier.
Make it a big enough reason to spark excitement
and passion. Your big reason might be that a
certain disease runs in your family and by being
more conscious of what you put in your body and
exercising regularly, you don’t have to become a
statistic. In fact your goal is to become a
success story so that other members in your family
see what is possible by looking at your life. Know
what you want and stay focused on it.
In Part 2 of ‘6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance,’ I’ll share 4 more tips to keep you focused on your goal.
Robin Kegler, The Wearing The Right C.A.P. Coach(tm), is a Speaker, Trainer, Founder of Wearing The Right C.A.P.tm and creator of the Wearing The Right C.A.P. PAGS Assessments(c) to help people know where they fit, will prosper and have the most fulfillment in life and work. She helps small business owners, entrepreneurs and solo professionals build strong teams by putting the right people… in the right place… doing the right assignment. Visit http://www.wearingtherightcapatwork.com.
