Mere Persistence

Strength, fortitude, gutsiness, grit, dynamism, determination, purposefulness, brilliance, courage; these are all wonderful traits to have, whether you’re hoping to accomplish a personal goal or produce something of value.

Also vital, though, and often under-appreciated, is the importance of just showing up and continuing to do something over and over again for an extended period of time.

Mere presence and participation are seldom celebrated or sexy. Staunchness doesn’t tend to earn accolades, and...