The End of a Matter is Better than its Beginning
Kenneth Mwale
Inspiring people and organizations to live out their PURPOSE is what drives me.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. – Proverbs 7:8 Bible
Most of us start the year with resolutions. This is a great way to start the year. The unfortunate thing is that most of the resolutions don’t go past February. When resolutions are not worked out long-term, they don’t work out.
As time passes, the intensity of the passion we begin with wanes. The biggest cause for failure is the waning enthusiasm. Passion alone does not achieve results. It needs to latch on to a solid plan. The plan will keep you going when passion fades.
To achieve results you need tools. Here are three things that will help you. You can use these tools for any goal. You will be guaranteed to get results.
1. Know that Passion will Wane
To achieve goals, you need to know that time will come when you won’t feel enthusiastic about your goals. When that happens, it doesn’t mean you have to abandon your goals. Keep on going even when there is no passion because passion is for starting, not for sustaining you. You need something else for that.
2. Commitment is Better than Passion
To illustrate my point, I want to use a concept I discovered a few years ago. It is called “The 20 Mile March”. I learned that the Roman army used this strategy to take over the world. It is said that the Roman army marched for 20-miles every day. They did so on different terrain, and in different weather conditions. They marched 20 miles in the rain, and on a sunny day. They marched 20 miles on flat terrain, and in a mountainous region.
To achieve goals, you need discipline. If you say you will go to the gym on Friday at 18:00, you do that under all conditions. If you say you will study on Wednesdays from 18:00 to 20:00, you will do that under all conditions. When you commit to waking up at 06:00, do so in winter as well as in summer. Discipline achieves goals, not passion alone. We have a lot of passionate underachievers because they don’t know it takes more than passion.
3. Celebrate Some Milestones
Something that will encourage you on your journey is to celebrate milestones. It doesn’t matter how small or big. Make a splash of your achievements. Make some noise about the 500 grams you lose on your way to 10 Kgs. That will help you see that you are making progress. Knowing that is good for you.