Goals and dreams are beautiful. The hard part is staying on
course until they are accomplished. At the beginning of the journey, everyone
is excited and the energy levels are very high. There is momentum and it
doesn’t feel like work to get the ball rolling. As the journey progresses, fatigue
begins to set in, distractions arise and your peers begin to drop off. It is at
this time that you have the choice to make. Will you keep going or quit like
the rest.
This is the time that reveals what you are made of. Many of
us talk big in the moments of euphoria, few have the character to back it up.
When challenge begin to arise; because they will, are you able to stand up for
what you believe in and discipline yourself to stay on course? When you meet
shiny new objects, are you able to tell what they are and cast them aside? It
is easy to wake up early for a few days, the struggle comes when you need to do
it for an extended duration. Do you have staying power.
Character is about staying power. When you are able to
bounce back and keep going after every setback, then we can say you have
developed character. Nothing develops your character faster than the pursuit of
a heartfelt dream. Think for a moment about a salesperson with a sales quota to
hit. I am privileged to work in a sales environment and I can tell you, sales
and targets will make you work miracles. When there is a reward attached to
whatever it is you are pursuing, you will move mountains to get it done. You
will not only think outside the ox but throw the box away. As a sales person, I
have encountered obstacle after obstacle in the course of my work. The need to
deliver has seen me go above and beyond what I thought possible and every time
I have challenged myself in that way, I have received the results I was looking
for. You need a certain enthusiasm to succeed in such an environment. Prospects
will dismiss you, disappoint you, stand you up, take you round in circles, tell
you no but you have to keep moving until you get what you are looking for. To
put it plainly, there are more nos than yeses in the sales career. The trick is
to move on to the next prospect with the same energy and enthusiasm you started
your day with. That is what resilience is all about.
Discipline is another aspect of character. There are many
forces that seek to pull you away from your pursuits in life. You should never
let that happen if you are committed to the realization of your dream. Once
your mind is set on the path you want to follow, don’t allow anything to stand
in between you and your destination. You must become ruthless with yourself.
The human mind and body prefer the path of least resistance. If you allow it,
it will take you to places you never imagined you would end up in. Discipline
is about being ready to pay the price. It is about walking out of your comfort
zone consciously and pushing yourself towards your desired future. It will have
you waking up at a specific time every morning and carrying out certain tasks
religiously until you see your dreams take on life. It is that willingness to
do uncomfortable, unpleasant things because they will lead you to where you
want to end up. It is showing up even on those days when sleeping in would be a
better option. Apostle Paul speaks about disciplining his body because he
realizes that it is very easy to go off track. 1 Corinthians 9:27. You cannot
permit everything and still reach your dream. Something has to give somewhere.
You also need an adaptable spirit. Some mountains need you
to go through, others need you to go around while others will call for you to
go over. A person with the resolve to get to the other side, will do whatever
it takes no matter how difficult. When you are persuaded of the significance of
your pursuit, nothing can stop you from going for it.
Character is about honoring your commitments to yourself and
others irrespective of the price you have to pay. Many of us have no problem
disappointing ourselves and others. It needs to pain you every time you fail to
honor your word. You must become bound by every word that proceeds out of your
mouth and be willing to stretch yourself to get it done.
Without a strong will, you will never be able to actualize
your dreams. The amount of resistance you need to push through to come out
victorious at the end is immense and only a few have what it takes to
persevere. Character is about being long suffering and willing to hold out
through the storm. Every dream will have to navigate through a storm of some
kind before it is realized. The one thing that will keep you sane through it
all is the strength of your character. More than anything else, you need to
develop that grit to come out victorious when all is said and done. Dreams
belong to those who will remain steady throughout the storm.
What are you adding to your character to ensure you achieve your dreams?
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