It was drizzling outside. The workout should be postponed. After a while no drops were falling, so I grabbed my hoodie just in case, and went out. In the middle of the routine, the rain came back. I was not going to stop, the sweatshirt was providing some protection. However, as drops started falling faster and faster, a question crossed my mind: how good of an idea is this? A hard-to-answer question. There was a certain sweetness in remaining determined and carrying out the training no matter the obstacle. If I get sick, I may lose more progress nonetheless. Such a dilemma made me wonder, when we have an idea, goal, or desire, how far should we stick to it? When should we quit? Where do we draw the line?

When to persist

We will find obstacles in anything we would like to pursue. From poor odds, a nagging feeling of not making progress, fortune changing the conditions we planned for, uncertainty, or even the awkwardness of doing something new. Such difficulties are as part of the journey as the sweet moments, we must learn to experience them alike. When encountering this kind of adversity, we must not desist, but find a way to defeat them. So we adapt, face ambiguity, become beginners, and await patiently signals of our progress. Our motivation is what gives us the strength to overcome such barriers. Why are we doing this? What do we expect to accomplish? The key is to grasp what makes us go forward on rainy days.

When to desist

What happens if we do not comprehend what fuels the fire that keeps us warm when the wind is blowing? When was the last time you stopped to think about the root of your motivation and question whether it still feels meaningful? We are in front of a different kind of obstacle; it does not come knocking down a door but spreads its poison from within. We have lost touch with what represents the foundations of our goal. We should consider giving up on our target when we lose the purpose behind our efforts. Perhaps it is still somewhere, or we may find new motives to stick to our goal. Maybe we will discover moving on to something else is wiser.

There are more than two options

The reasons we have are still relevant, but the path feels off. We feel frustrated when we try to improve and there are no results, we have a great idea but cannot express or execute it. It feels like banging our heads against a wall, and those bricks do not seem to move. Even, such an objective could feel so important, full of constrains, and pressure, we lose our ability to have fun, to enjoy it. We don’t change our precious goal but tinker with the how we reach it. There are tiny elements that can affect the result of our actions. We keep what works and rework the rest. Enjoy the struggle as much as the achievement, and make the process suit your unique self.

Be in contact with your motivation

The next time you question yourself whether to persist or desist at some activity, examine from where the struggle comes. There will be external aspects that will influence whatever we do in some way, inherent obstacles. But these are as important as the objective. On the other hand, losing touch with our motivation naturally happens: things are in constant change, even ourselves. However, if we are satisfied only by continuing by inertia, at some point we may feel something is amiss. Refresh every day your reasons for doing what you do. If there is none, we must create it. I did not stay in the rain, I looked for shelter until I could continue.