The beaver

# Chapter 134

“One cannot overestimate the power of persistence.” Wheeler

If I have a second superpower, it would be persistence. Grit. Stubbornness. Whatever you want to call it. The metaphor that most rings like truth in my decades of life is a beaver, consistently gnawing on the tree until eventually, eventually it falls. This was true in high school, college, grad school, and my doctoral work. It has been true in every job I have ever had. It is true of every relationship. It is true of each investment. It is true of every thing I ever tried to learn or master. And especially parenting and grandparenting!

And the way that most people accomplish this persistence is with systems. Systems can be routines, habits, calendaring, checklists, paper and pen, however you organize your day. But whatever you use, use it rigorously and strictly and well . . . persistently and consistently. This is loop that will strengthen itself the more you practice it. The more rigorously you practice your systems, the more persistence you are capitalizing on. In other words, the simple use of your system of working toward a goal or anything, is in and of itself persistence.

Systems can give you clues and levers and steps and directions to your persistence. IFTTT (if this then that) kinds of clues. First thing in the morning I write down my measurements from the day before (you do what you measure), did I exercise, did I read a book, publish my blog, etc etc. This has to happen,BEFORE I do the next tier of tasks, which are exercising, writing this 275, devotions and meditations, etc etc. And all of that has to happen before I am allowed to open or write email or answer/read texts. Otherwise, the bulk of my day will be derailed and I will find myself at the end, with no reading accomplished, no exercise sweated, no paragraphs written. Get the important things done first, and then the urgent follows.

The power of persistence.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Will Durant