Persistent? Or Pig-Headed? Which One Are You?

Do you ever feel like you’re beating your head against a wall?  Like there’s something you’re supposed to be accomplishing — it’s part of your mission so-to-speak — but all of your efforts are in vain?  My guess is that you can truthfully relate to this experience.  Even if it’s not a current part of your circumstance, I’d be willing to bet that you know what it’s like to have the feeling of throwing your heart and soul into something, seemingly to no avail.  It happens.

Personally, I’ve had this feeling numerous times over the course of my life.  Sometimes, it’s not a big deal.  Other times, the feeling can be somewhat debilitating.  At all times, it’s frustrating to say the least.

Over the course of time, there are a few things I’ve learned that have allowed me to navigate these choppy waters, when I hit them, with more finesse than I used to.  Believe it or not, there’s a way to move past the sense of futility and into the space of purpose and accomplishment.  Here are a few of my learnings that are sure to support you in stopping the insanity (that’s what I call banging your head against the wall!):

1. Realize that  banging your head against the proverbial wall is a sign that something isn’t lining up.  Your idea might be right, but the path you’ve chosen might not.  So, find another path.  Or another idea.  Bottom-line:  tweak something.
2. Realize that there’s a difference between being persistent and being pig-headed.  Sometimes, it can be easy to confuse the two.  The former will actually lead to success.  The latter will only result in a metaphorical bruise or two.
3. Train yourself to step back and evaluate from time to time.  Taking a step back will allow you to see the bigger picture and determine if your persistence is paying off, if you need to turn up the dial on your efforts or if you need to try another approach.
4. Surround yourself with people who can see what you can’t.  Sometimes, when you’re standing in a place of laser focus, you can miss what others can see plainly.  Be willing to take the suggestions of others under advisement.
5. Understand that just because something seems futile in the moment, it doesn’t necessarily require you ditching the project altogether.  Sometimes it really is just about opening yourself to another facet of possibility, another way that the project might come to fruition.

Bottom-line:  while persistence might be necessary to success — a willingness to keep your eye on the ball even when things get tough — there’s a way in which it behooves you to always hold the question, “is everything lining up the way it’s supposed to?”  My sense is that, when things are seeming futile, one small tweak will get things back on track.  So be willing to hold the question, make the tweaks, and keep on keepin’ on.