I'm going to switch gears a bit with this column because I wanted to share a tidbit of motivation that I have recently found inspiring both personally and professionally.
I took a yoga class a few weeks ago and the instructor ended the class with an anecdote that resonated with me, "Water does not cut rock because of its strength, but because of its perseverance."
The last several months I've been busy opening a new studio and working on some new and exciting ventures. As many of you appreciate, it seems that there are never enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do. I was finding myself becoming frustrated because I wasn't making the strides and progress that I expected I should. Things weren't happening quite as quickly as I would have hoped. There were moments where I felt like I was spinning my wheels going nowhere or taking one step forward only to fall two steps back.
The quote was timely for me in that it provided me the opportunity to focus on recalibrating and refocusing my efforts. In order to focus on progress, I needed a mindset shift to acknowledge that, though at any precise moment, I may not be exactly where I want to be, but I am one step closer with each meaningful action I take.
Positive action begets positive action. Just as we tell our clients they are more likely to make better food choices when they are exercising regularly and that each positive choice they make, though seemingly inconsequential at that moment, has an impact on their bigger-picture goal. We often need to remind ourselves to take our own advice. It's the culmination of small, positive choices that create the momentum for big results in our careers.
The difference between mediocre and amazing success is perseverance. Perseverance gives us the ability to withstand temporary setbacks, to look at the forest from above rather than from amongst the trees and to acknowledge that the greatest successes are always sweeter after persevering through the challenges.
