We all love starting something new. A fresh project, a new training plan, a bold goal, because it’s exciting. The first steps are filled with energy and motivation. Think about starting a running program, committing to a new diet, or even launching a blog.
I know that feeling well. More than 7 years and many blogs ago, I started posting my Friday Thoughts, showing up week after week, no matter what was on my agenda. I treated it as if I were being paid to write it, as if it were a non-negotiable responsibility. That’s endurance. Because in the end, long-term consistency beats short-term intensity.
This is what truly successful people excel at, they are staying committed even when they get bored, unmotivated, or discouraged.
Some months ago, I started training again. At least three times a week, I run, work with a personal trainer. And I do that whether I’m tired, sick, exhausted, or simply uninspired. It doesn’t matter. Endurance is the only way to reach my goals. The hardest moments are when your body says no, because of an injury, adapting the training, stretching more, sometimes resting for a week, but sticking to the plan, not giving up in your mind at that time.
Steve Jobs once said, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” And I believe he’s right. Taking action toward a goal is easy. People do it all the time. But taking the right action, consistently improving, and pushing forward even when it gets repetitive or hard, and that’s something rather rare.
What really matters is sticking with something after the initial excitement fades. That’s where most people quit. Chasing a new rush of motivation, they abandon projects that once meant everything to them, leaving behind a trail of unfinished work.
It’s not easy, but the real value lies in endurance. The finishers are the ones who push through the boredom, the setbacks, and the doubts. And that are the ones who truly make an impact.
So, the real question isn’t whether you can start something. It’s whether you can keep going.
