I’m going to toot my own horn. But I understand that my achievement is an accident. I’m lucky sometimes that I stumble into something that works.

Today’s message is intended to inspire you to look for the thing that’ll work more easily for you.

TL;DR. Find something you enjoy doing and then stick with it even during the periods when the enjoyment diminishes.

It’s dramatically easier to achieve your goals when the thing you do to achieve them is something you enjoy. Find the thing you’d do regardless of the obstacle presented, and you’ll find your path to success.

I’ve always enjoyed writing, and it has paid off again and again.

This site was, once again, selected by the editors at the ABA Journal for the ABA Blawg 100. That’s five years in a row. In fact, it has now happened for so many years that the editors have retired us from consideration next year and put us in the ABA Blawg 100 Hall of Fame.

It’s an honor for the work here to be recognized. I appreciate the attention and thank the ABA Journal editors. They’re very kind.

But the honor was not earned as a result of the clarity of the writing. It was not earned as a result of the quality of the advice. It was not earned by the oppositional, defiant, ranting tone I sometimes use, and it was certainly not earned as a result of any brilliant ideas, which have been few and far between.

The recognition was earned as a result of persistence. The recognition was earned as a result of showing up, day after day, for a long time.

I’m hoping that you’re jumping out of your seat with an objection. You’re saying “No, the blog is in the Hall of Fame because Rosen is an insightful genius with one brilliant idea after another.” I wish I could say “Sustained!” in response. Unfortunately, I’ll have to say “Overruled!” I wish you were right, but I know better.

I started writing these posts more than eight years ago. There were others who wrote about similar topics. Many of them did a better job than me. But they’re mostly gone now. They gave up somewhere along the way. They got busy, tired, or bored. They found a better use for their time. They moved on to bigger and better things.

I didn’t. I stuck with you. I stayed right here and wrote, word by word, to you. I’ve been doing it most days since I started.

I may not be brilliant or articulate or particularly creative, but I’m persistent with my writing. Grinding it out, day after day, is the source of much of my success.

But I’m only persistent because the writing is something I’d do anyway. I enjoy it, usually.

I created my own neighborhood newspaper when I was in elementary school. Then I wrote for the North Miami Junior High School student newspaper. I did the same for the paper in high school and in college.

I kept writing when I started practicing law. I had a newspaper column in 40 small North Carolina newspapers way back in 1988. I assembled huge amounts of written material for our website in the mid-90s. We went on to publish a book on divorce. I’ve never been a great writer, but I keep at it. I’m persistent.

When the ABA Journal needed another blog to fill an empty spot on its annual ABA Blawg 100, I was present. I’d been writing for a few years, and the Journal had some others fall off the list when they quit writing. My persistence put me on their radar. I kept showing up. My audience grew—slowly.

Persistence works. Of course, you won’t truly believe me until you’ve been persistent at something and see the results. I get it: that’s hard, it’s sometimes boring, and it takes a long, long time. Plus, there are lots of shiny objects that come along in the interim that tempt you. One of those shiny objects might be a better idea.

But I’m here to tell you that a better idea is, more often than not, not as valuable as a lesser idea executed upon persistently. You don’t get many shots at persistence in one lifetime. You may just have to trust that I have a point. After all, I’m not saying anything you didn’t already know deep down. You can feel it when you’re about to shift gears, head in a different direction, and start something new.

Being persistent is tough. That’s why it’s important to pick a thing you can do that you enjoy. It’s incredibly difficult to persist at anything if you’re not enjoying yourself. You’re not likely to stick with something unless it’s something you really want to do.

But even the thing you want to do will get old sometimes. Eating pizza is a good illustration. Even pizza gets old eventually. The same is true of ice cream. Am I right? It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while, we crave a vegetable or something else that’s healthy.

Finding the thing you want to do is the starting point. Being persistent is how you reach the finish line in grand style.

Being persistent overcomes many obstacles.

When you’re persistent, you don’t have to be as good as the competition. You build a reputation, over time, that gets cemented in the minds of the referral sources, the other business folks, and the prospective clients. They have no idea whether you’re good, but they know you’re someone who solves the particular problem you solve. They figure out eventually that you’re the person who deals with your topic. Eventually, you become the person they know to turn to when the issue you handle arises in their life. Persistence pays off.

When you persist, you’ll notice others around you changing course, switching gears, and dropping out. You’ll see the folks you started out with disappearing, and you’ll see the new entrants come and go and sometimes come back. You’ll stick around and everyone will come to know you’re the one who sticks around. You’re the one who can be counted on to be there when needed. You’re the one they can turn to when they need an answer or some help.

I’m pleased that the words we share are now in the ABA Journal Blawg 100 Hall of Fame. It’s a proud moment for me. But, more than anything, it’s a testament to the impact of starting with something you enjoy and then sticking with it over time. Persistence pays off. Find your idea, figure out what you can do for a long time, and then stick with it.