“When I thought I couldn’t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck.” — Estee Lauder

Do you know what you want out of your life? Can you see your future clearly in your mind’s eye, and do you know down to the very core of your being that you’re working toward your life’s purpose? If so, congratulations! If you’re not quite there yet, take a few moments and imagine what your life would be life if you were living on purpose. How wide is the gap between what you want to be doing and what you’re currently engaged in?

Sometimes we get “stuck” in a situation that is clearly not where we want to be. Maybe it’s because of financial considerations, family expectations, or self-imposed limitations. If you dread going to work every day, it may be time to reconsider the track you’re on and look for ways you can progress toward what you want out of life.

It’s easy to advance toward your goals when things are going well, when you’re “in the flow.” You feel great, you’re on a “high,” and things couldn’t be better. Because of your positive momentum, when challenges first happen, you turn on your inner turbo-boosters and plow forward.

However, when it seems nothing is going right, challenges are abounding, and you’re not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, you may start questioning your sanity, your motivations, and whether you should be continuing down this crazy path.

Here are some tips to keep you on track so you can reach the pinnacle of your personal and professional pursuits, whatever they are:

1. Acknowledge yourself for each and every little victory. So often we are looking for what is going wrong, what has gone wrong or what could go wrong that we don’t see how many things are going well. At the end of each day, write down your list of “wins” and take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments.

2. Learn from your lessons. It’s been said that a lesson is repeated until the lesson is learned. When something goes wrong, take a moment and assess exactly what happened. Then try something different; even a slight shift can make a big impact. This may take you out of your comfort zone, but doing things in a different way will lead to different — and probably better — results.

3. Be grateful. Get into the practice of looking for people, events and circumstances for which you can be thankful. You don’t have to wait until something really “big” happens. When you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed, think of three things that you appreciate about your life. Then think of three more things that you can be grateful for in advance of them happening during the day. In this way, you’ll set a positive expectancy for your day and chances are that your day will turn out as good, or even better, than you originally imagined.

Think of your challenges as just another part of your story. Every delay, mistake, and denial is part of what it takes to make your victory stronger and more satisfying than if it happened easily and without trials and tribulations. You are on your way, and your efforts will pay off in ways you may not have imagined. Go for it!

Persistence pays. Slow and steady wins the race – it’s all just a matter of time.

Employee engagement expert and motivational speaker Lisa Ryan works with organizations to help them keep their top talent and best customers from becoming someone else’s. She is the author of six books, and is featured in two films ,including the award-winning “The Keeper of the Keys” with Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” For more information, please connect with Lisa at her website, www.grategy.com, or email her at lisa@grategy.com.

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