You don’t need a big life goal or lifestyle ambition to relate to perseverance. Life gives you plenty to understand and apply perseverance. I am definitely goal-oriented and believe in setting goals, but I don’t want you think about perseverance only in the context of goals. It applies just as much to life and the general flow of our days.

Life has Triggers
Some of you have been through traumatic events and are vividly aware of triggers. Years ago, Amanda and I were driving down the highway when we hit a patch of black ice, got sideways, and flipped our truck several times. We both walked away (thank you, seat belts!), but for a while after that, any time we slid a little on an icy patch we’d tense up. Triggers can be sights, sounds, smells, touch, tastes… any sensory perception that stimulates an emotional response.

Regardless of if you’ve been through a major event or not, you have triggers. Things happen that can set off an emotional response, and the problem is that many times these triggers happen in our subconscious. For example, it is easy for me to subconsciously make comparisons to other people… comparisons about accomplishments, talents (like speaking ability or writing ability), or even personality (“they have such an easy time talking to people”). That comparison can instantly trigger a thought process that causes me to think negatively about myself, what I’ve done, and who I am. Sometimes, even hearing about an example that is meant to be positive and motivating can spur negative thoughts. It happens quickly.

You might also have negative triggers that are more recognizable and obvious. People can cause negative reactions in you because of how they speak or their opinions. It is probably easier for you to recognize those triggers and respond better, but sometimes they still catch you off guard.

There are some triggers that aren’t necessarily good or bad, but are worth recognizing. For example, when our family talks about plans and ideas, I quickly start thinking about financial impacts. That isn’t a bad thing, but I have to be careful that I don’t interject that concern too early in the discussion. 

There are also physiological triggers. For instance, I have periods where I am emotionally down. Embedded PSA: I started taking vitamin D several years ago and noticed a reduction in depression. It still happens, though, and I’m starting to recognize when my emotional state is impacting my thoughts. I’ve come to realize I need to be aware of my mood so that I don’t try to make significant decisions when I’m down. I’ve also identified strategies for overcoming it, such as spending some time deliberately practicing gratitude.

What triggers do you have? It might be easy to come up with some pet peeves, but I encourage you to think more deeply about it. If you can identify triggers, you’ll be more in control of how you respond to them and more in control of the life path you want to be on. Maybe you want to be positive and content, but you subconsciously compare yourself to someone that seems more successful, and you become discontent. Recognizing the trigger is the first step to becoming more content. Maybe you want to engage in civil discourse about an issue you’re passionate about, but find yourself digging in to entrenched positions and arguing. Recognizing the trigger is the first step to becoming more influential. 

Whatever it is you want to grow in, recognizing some of the triggers that impede your progress is the first step. Then, persevere. As you become aware of triggers, you can work through them. That is the work, the perseverance, and it can lead to change and feelings of confidence, success, and empowerment.

Using Triggers to Build Habits
As I’ve stated, I’m goal-oriented. I like goals and they motivate me. So, I recently started calling habits I want to build “habit goals” rather than saying I’m “trying to build a new habit”. It has changed my approach and it has worked well for me. Regardless of if you use a similar approach or not, you can use the concept of triggers to build habits you desire in your life.

One way to build a new habit is to associate the desired action with an existing habit. The example I heard was to start doing push ups every time after brushing your teeth. The habit of brushing your teeth is already installed and working, and so it is a good trigger to do the new habit. 

Maybe you want to build a new habit like reading something positive every day. Associate that to something else you do, like checking social media. Maybe you have some other habit goals that are less trivial? The concept can still work. You have habits that are already ingrained and part of your daily life; use those to create new ones, rather than trying to create new ones through brute force.

Don’t Underestimate Routines
I can now say I regularly swim in the morning. I used to try and swim one morning a week. I did that for a bit, then I found a group and started meeting with them a couple times a week. I enjoyed it and decided to make some changes in my schedule so that I could meet with them 3 days per week. Now, I’ve started becoming consistent at 3 days per week. It has become a part of my routine, but I’d say it took well over a year to build up to support that.

You have routines established, the patterns of your day, even if you haven’t defined them as such. You can use those to accomplish what you want by making small changes in those routines. First, understand what your routine is. Next, make a small change and keep at it until it has become part of your routine. Now repeat the process with another small change. 

Inevitably you’ll slip back into your set ways. You may find the small change isn’t going to work in your routine, or you just need to try again. Perseverance, and a little patience with yourself, will go a long way. There are still lots of changes I want to make in the morning, and I’m incrementally making them and I’m persevering. 

I think continually making small changes in our routines and persevering at it can yield some massive changes. The swimming thing for me is a huge change and I am hoping to continue it throughout the year. If I do, it may be my biggest accomplishment of 2019. And that’s what we’ll talk about next week… building confidence, affirmations and reflecting on what we accomplish through perseverance. 

Make Monday awesome and I look forward to seeing you next week!

Some articles for further reading

• If you’re looking for a source of good, inspirational newshttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201112/the-neuroscience-perseverance
• https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-a-trigger/
• https://www.ezeep.com/perseverance/