When we work to accomplish anything over the long haul, our internal drive fluctuates. Sometimes we’ll feel highly motivated; sometimes we won’t. Or, as an early mentor told me: sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. But it’s not our motivation that will produce results — it’s the action we take that will determine the results we experience.
Having perseverance and self-discipline help us keep taking action even when we don’t feel the motivation to do so. Perseverance is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting. This requires determination. If you take the time, and invest the effort to cultivate this grit or persistence, then you can achieve what may initially appear to be impossible.