We all have to start somewhere. We don’t all start at the same point. Whether you just decided that health and nutrition is important, or you are many years into the journey. Whether you just decided it was time to start saving for your future, or you already have a strong financial plan in motion. Whether you and your spouse just started working through the tough stuff, or you are a decade past it.
We all have to press on. We have to decide that what we are aiming for is worth the challenges we will face in getting there. That is the difficultly with aspirations though, isn’t it? You dream up new goals, you take the scary step to pursue them, and then you must persevere through the flaming balls of fire that are thrown at you all along the way.
All things in life worth having take sacrifice. To have something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. Goals are an important part of character building. But what do we do when the things we want seem to be pushed out of our grasp?
And how to we press on? Well first we should remove any road blocks we are capable of carrying out-of-the-way. Let me give you an example. I have a goal to write 2 blog posts per month. This is the first one I have posted in almost three months. Now I could list off ten different reasons (excuses) for why I have fallen short. But that wouldn’t change anything, would it? Instead, I will focus on the things that are keeping me from writing and figure out how to remove them.
Next factor in pressing on, we need to earnestly seek that which cultivates our goals. If you’re trying to loose weight, don’t go to a pizza restaurant. If you’re trying to save money, stay out of the mall. Don’t add obstacles, add things that press you forward.
I have to sacrifice my time and energy to make this happen. I must have self-discipline and determination. Staying active in my writing, and developing as a writer, is worth the obstacles I will face along the way. It is not out of my grasp and it is not unattainable. Therefore I will press on.
Maybe your goal is to run your first 10K race. Or maybe it is to graduate college. Or maybe it is to get married one day. Whatever you dream of, or aspire to, press on.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
10/11/16 UPDATE: Eight months later… I failed miserably. But look at all the room I have made for improvements. I’m going to keep on keeping on. Pressing on.
