One of Aesop’s best-known fables is “The Tortoise and the Hare.” You’ve probably heard the story before. The hare challenges the tortoise to a race, confident he will win by a long shot. The race begins and the hare gets so far ahead of the tortoise that he takes a nap.

When the hare wakes up, he finds that the tortoise kept moving and won the race!

We can learn a lot from the tortoise. It may take a while to get where we’re going, but if we persist, we’ll eventually get there.

There are times when you’ll feel like giving up on your writing goals. Whatever you’re working on, it’s important to be persistent and work through the problems that make it harder to reach the finish line.

Matthew Weiner, the creator of the hit TV series Mad Men, knows a thing or two about persistence. He said,

“It took seven years from the time I wrote Mad Men until it finally got on the screen. I lived every day with that script as if it were going to happen tomorrow. That’s the faith you have to have. Hollywood is tough, but I do believe that if you are truly talented, get your material out there, can put up with rejection, and don’t set a time limit for yourself, someone will notice you.”

It’s easy to get sidelined by problems on the creative journey. But you must persist and keep on doing the work you’re called to do. There’s too much at stake for you to throw in the towel.

Remember the lesson from the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race.

Daily Question: As you look at the projects you’re working on now, where do you need to be slow and steady? And what does it mean for you to win the race?