Perseverance – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

Crossing the desert on the way to your goals

Walking through a desert is a harsh but accurate picture of chasing goals that stretch out far longer than you imagined. The road to a dream, building a business, finishing a degree or leading a change, can become an exhausting test where the days pile up with no sign of arrival. The long wait, at times unbearable, tests your will and turns early enthusiasm into a quiet struggle. People who keep going do it because an inner spark sustains them: the certainty that the road, however barren, leads somewhere worth reaching.

The desert treats everyone the same. An entrepreneur waiting for a startup to take off, a student facing semester after semester or a manager leading a complex project all know the fatigue of delay. In those moments the goal can look like a mirage, always far off. People who keep hope alive draw strength from the clarity of their intention, with no need for empty promises. That clarity lets them see the desert as ground that forges determination, where every step, however heavy, is a statement of commitment to their vision.

Small wins are the oases on this relentless trip. They can be as modest as solving a problem that seemed impossible, hearing a word of encouragement or getting a little better at a key skill. An entrepreneur who lands a meeting with an investor, a student who passes a tough course or a manager who finally gets the team aligned finds in those wins a vital breather. Celebrating them, however small they look against the size of the desert, is what recharges you. Each one is proof that progress, slow as it is, is real.

Hope in the desert takes a conscious effort to resist discouragement. You can set out full of fire, and the monotony and heat of the road wear down even the strongest. That’s when remembering the "why, the what for, the purpose" behind the goal becomes a lifeline. A student pictures the impact their profession will have. A leader pictures the legacy of their project. Connecting with the deeper reason for the trip turns the wait into a chance to grow, and patience becomes an active form of endurance.

Finding water in the desert means learning to spot resources in the middle of hardship. A determined person sees opportunity where others see emptiness: an idea from a casual conversation, an unexpected lesson or a moment of clarity that lifts the spirit. On a team, a delay can open the door to a stronger strategy or closer collaboration. These finds are small and essential. The desert stays a desert, and they give you enough water to keep going, a reminder that even the harshest landscape holds life if you know where to look.

The desert, vast and unforgiving, shows the true weight of the goals that matter. People who persevere feel the fatigue and keep walking because they know valuable things take time. Every small win and every moment of renewed hope builds a bridge to the future. An entrepreneur who adjusts the plan, a student who masters a new concept, a manager who inspires the team: each one is writing a story of progress, and the desert is the setting that shapes their strength.

Crossing the desert is an act of loyalty to yourself. For a person, it’s the conviction that every day of effort, however draining, is building something that lasts. For a team or a company, it’s the certainty that delays are just chapters in a bigger story. Small wins are the stones that mark the trail, and hope is the wind at your back. What oases are you finding in your current desert? How is your "purpose" carrying you through the longest stretches of the wait?

Warm regards and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week’s VELA (what I was Watching, Listening to, Reading and Learning):

Watching: The Power of Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. A motivating video on why perseverance matters in pursuing goals, free to watch anywhere and full of practical ideas.

Listening to: How I Built This. A podcast I only just found, and it’s already my discovery of 2025. It tells the stories of entrepreneurs who pushed through long challenges, and their small wins and resilience are inspiring.

Reading: We Who Wrestle with God by Jordan Peterson. I’m still with this remarkable book. A profound work on inner struggle, ideal for finding meaning during a long wait.

Learning: Visualization techniques. A practice that helps you keep hope and focus on your goals, especially in Formula 1. Surprising and very good.

P.S. This post is dedicated to my wife, for her life, for which I thank God and especially the Virgin of Fátima, who heard our prayers. Thank you for always walking with me through the deserts we’ve crossed together. Your love and strength are the water that makes every step of this journey possible.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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