Advice Blog 1 Apr 22 by Lorenzo Samuel, author of speculative fiction writings. In the 1 Mar 22 issue Advice Blog, I discussed the construction of a to-do list. In this issue of our advice blog, we’ll take up persistence, particularly on any writing such as fiction, non-fiction, memoirs and blogs.
Here we go with a definition from my dictionary for persistence: refusal to give up when faced with opposition or difficulty. Continuing steadily and firmly. Continuing insistently.
Now, we’ll break this down to its keyword: refusal is the indication one will not do something, in this case, give up when facing some trouble that would burgeon if one went ahead and did the thing The trouble would be difficulty or opposition. Instead of giving up, one would continue. She or he would insist upon doing it.
Example: John has decided to write a series of blog posts on how to keep an antique car running well. He owns several such cars and he loves to work on them. They are cherry. He helps several friends repair their cars. One of his antique-car roadshow buddies suggested he write a blog. He starts off all enthused about his blog. However, he soon finds out that writing and promoting a blog are beyond him, or so he thinks. That is a difficulty. He can either quit or continue. Let’s say he musters the gumption to continue.
He finds out how to write a blog readers will consider valuable. He discovers that there are several blog authors who are successful with blogs on similar subjects. A few are willing to mentor him, and he finds readers who love his blog. However, his spouse berates him for spending too much time on this “thing” and not enough time with her doing what she wants to do. Opposition.
How does one overcome this opposition? Here are the steps I recommend: 1. Do not stop the blog. 2. Get the spouse’s agreement and support ‒ make a deal with him or her. In exchange for not nagging you for spending time on this “useless” thing, show your spouse its use and how important it is to you. In return, agree to spend certain time each week in doing what she wants to do with you. Set a time for this and don’t deviate. 3. Share your progress with your spouse. Include her or him in what you are doing. Ask for his or her help. 4. Share with your friends and associates what your are doing. Include them. 5. Make your commitment public. Be candid and honest. Ask for help and ideas. 6.Consider any difficulty or opposition an opportunity to become more persistent.
A person who is persistent presents an example to those around her or him that they will admire eventually. They will need to work through their own lack in order to become persistent themselves, but you will become an opinion leader for them.
Briefly, we’ll consider working through your own internal problems that get in the way of your persistence. Are you familiar with the breaking of New Year resolutions? A person makes a New Years resolution such as “I’m going to leave for work 5 minutes early from here on.” For the next week or 2, she or she does so. Then in the 3 rd week, the person does not; thinks of his decision, and for another week he actually does not miss a day where he leaves for work every day 5 minutes early. Yeah.
The following week, he misses leaving early every day. He may have just forgot or he has justifications for not following out his decision. The death gong has thrummed on his decision. Most likely the decision will not be revived. Oh, it was just a New Years resolution, and everyone knows that people don’t keep those. However, such indecision, such waffling, is the common lot throughout the lives of many people.
Look at is the decision itself. Here is the rule: the more specific the decision, the more likely it will be carried out. The decision from our example is “I’m going to leave for work 5 minutes early from here on.” A few corrections should be made in how this rule is stated: 1. “Going to” always applies the decision lies in the future. Makes carrying it out impossible. “from here on” attempts to correct this problem, but is surely a weak attempt. 2.When is “here?” Let’s pose a more specific rendition of the decision: “I leave for work at 6:55 A.M. (assuming you have been in the habit of leaving for work at 7:00 A.M.).
In the next issue of our Advice Blog, we’ll take up the justifications writers use to justify their indecisive intentions.
Note: The book of short speculative fiction "Eve of Valor: 25 Tales" is available on Amazon at click here.
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