June 9

A few years ago, I tore my ACL while playing in a basketball league. (It was inevitable—I was playing with people twenty years younger!) Sidelined for months awaiting surgery, I realized that my basketball days were likely over and that once I recovered, I would need to find a new way to exercise. Against my better judgment, I decided to take up run- ning. I’d tried before and always hated it, but with two of my kids now running competitively, I decided to give it another shot.

In my first attempt, I made it about two blocks before slowing to a walk. The next time, I went about half a mile. It was then I made a deci- sion: I was going to run a mile, no matter how slow and no matter how I felt.

I did, and I felt awful. But you know what? The next time I ran, I made it a half mile before I even felt tired. I’d proven I could do it. Now I run for miles nonstop because I’ve stretched my capacity.

There are moments in your creating when you simply need to push through the discomfort. You need to stretch your capacity to create so that when you need endurance, it’s there. Today, focus on pushing through the moments of discomfort when you want to give up. You’ll be glad you did.

Press yourself to go beyond the moment when you feel like quit- ting. You will increase your creative endurance.

QUESTION

When are you most tempted to give up in the midst of your work? How can you push through those moments today?