So over the few weeks you have dared to dream and assessed your calling.  You have become motivated and are fully committed to making your dreams come true.  Now comes the long and strenuous part: effort.  This week, I have given some thought to the quotes by the Prime Minster of the United Kingdom from 1940-1945 and 1951-1955, Sir Winston Churchill who says, “Continuous effort not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking your potential.  Never, never, never give up.  If you’re going through hell, keep going.”  As per the American essayist, lecturer and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson who was the leader for the Transcendentalist movement: Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.

Many of you may think that Churchill’s words are a little harsh but keep in mind that effort and its related tasks are difficult.  Merriam-Webster defines effort as work done by the mind or body; a serious attempt to do something; the conscious exertion of power and lastly an effective force as distinguished from the possible resistance called into action by such a force.  Effort requires a lot of determination and should be fueled by motivation within the framework of commitment.  In addition, effort does not have to be perfect or right the first time around, it matters so much more that you tried and kept trying!

Effort has to be continuous because based on your effort you will see the results. If you put in a half-hearted attempt towards your dream, don’t be surprised if you get half of the result.  Now the result is truly not up to us, there are circumstances, situations, people, time and other conditions that might not bring our efforts to its proper fruition per our expectations or time table.  However, your effort will yield the result at a later date or when it is feasible.  In the end, it is still worth it to make the effort because it will never go to waste.  Hard work and perseverance rarely do!

During this period of exertion and steadfastness what will keep you going?  The answer is your enthusiasm and your curiosity.  Your willingness to find out what is on the other side, the excitement of what will be next and what happens when you do a certain task will help in accomplishing your goals.  These thoughts and actions will prop you up as you make your effort.  Many people who love what they are doing, never think of their duty or work as drudgery, they get out of bed with excitement ready to tackle their day.  The reason being their curiosity and enthusiasm of what will happen next propels and drives them through their effort.

What are the biggest detriments that stop the efforts?  Four major ones are listed below along with solutions on how to deal with them to ensure continuous and steadfast effort:

1. Perfection: A feeling that the work should yield the best outcome the first time
   • Your effort does not have to be perfect, it just has to be step by step and should be about the ability to put one foot in front of the other.
2. Disappointment: Effort not producing the results as expected
   • Your hard work is will never go to waste, as long as you are doing all the right things.  Don’t worry about the results, make a promise to yourself to show up.
3. Excuses: I don’t want to do this or can’t do this
   • Start and keep giving yourself the pep talk that the bigger picture is about your dream.  Assess your motivation and commitment at this level.
4. Attitude: This is too hard or this is not worth my time
   • You control your attitude and having the right attitude will keep the drive alive so that the right effort can be put in towards your tasks.

Your effort and hard work through constant evaluation, correction, operation and review will lead to the necessary transformation.  So don’t give up!  Wednesday, May 20, 2015 is International Clinical Trials’ Day that acknowledges the life changing achievements that result from the work performed by clinical researchers.  On average, to bring a  prescription drug to market takes approximately 15 years of non-clinical and clinical research.  Let’s be thankful of the efforts of organizations, clinical trial researchers, patients, animals and other supporting entities that bring treatments to market that help combat diseases and contribute to public health, safety and medical progress.

Author: Anjali Chudasama