perseverance

Perseverance

I'm not saying that it's bad, or anything like that. Perseverance is definitely a virtue; but when you persevere at something for too long, even if it's the right choice, you become prideful and arrogant about your decision. This can turn into a downward spiral where you keep persevering because of this false sense of self until you're walking around with a half destroyed life.

" There's a time and place for perseverance, but it is not in all moments."

It's important to remember that perseverance isn't always the answer. Sometimes you have to stop what you're doing and re-evaluate your choices. This doesn't mean that you're weak and can't stick to your goals. It just means that you're human and should be allowed to change your mind every now and again.

So how do we know when to persevere or cut our losses? I think the answer lies in knowing yourself, gauging the risk/reward factor of a situation, and knowing your boundaries.

All of these factors will help you determine when to push through and persevere, and when to cut your losses and start over. Let's take each one individually:

Know yourself – You can't expect everyone to be happy or satisfied with the choices that you make. Sometimes we want different things than other people, and that's okay. You don't have to get everyone's approval for every decision you make, just be aware of how other people might react to your ideas so that you can prepare yourself mentally. If someone close to you doesn't support your idea or decision, take the time to reflect on why their opinion is in contrast with yours. Maybe it's something that you haven't considered and will change your mind. Maybe it means that the choice isn't right for you, and you can move on. Either way, knowing yourself is the key to making a decision after weighing all of the factors listed here.

Gauge risk vs reward – This is probably one of the most important decisions you can make. If you look at your choice and the possible outcomes, and decide that there's a very small chance for success or it simply isn't worth the risk/stress/effort then cut your losses and move on. This is where knowing yourself will come in handy, because if this decision holds a great deal of importance to you- you're going to have a harder time letting it go. There are definitely cases where reconsidering the choice only brings more risk/pain, and that's when you have to decide if perseverance is truly worth your sanity.

Know your boundaries – This is different for everyone. What I mean by this is knowing the kinds of things that make you happy, what kind of person you are (laid back vs high strung), and how far you're willing to go for something. I'm not saying that this is easy; it's definitely the hardest thing on the list here- but it's also important. If your life is full of stress and drama, you might want to reevaluate some of the choices that put you into that situation. If you're uncomfortable or feel like someone is taking advantage of your kindness then it's time to stop putting yourself through this.

Know when to persevere – This is where I think perseverance works best; when you know something isn't ideal but you've weighed all of your options and can't find a way out. It's okay to make less than ideal choices because you don't have other options. In fact, I think it's the only time perseverance should be used. The other side of this is when you know what your choice entails and you're going into it willingly- not because there isn't another choice that could yield less or more ideal results, but because you've decided this is the best route for you. These are the only instances in which I think it's okay to make a choice and double down on your efforts.

When to cut your losses – This one is a little harder, but it's also very important. Everyone has a breaking point- you know those situations that are completely out of your control and make you want to pull your hair out? You have to learn when enough is enough and put the effort into finding a way out before you lose yourself over something. The key to this one is knowing yourself and when you start doing things that are out of character for you, or when your stress/drama level gets so high it starts impacting other areas in your life. If these things are happening then it's time to reevaluate the situation because chances are there's a better choice somewhere else- even if you can't see it at the moment.