How long before you give up on your dreams

How long would you consider to be sufficient time before you gave up on a project that for all intents and purposes was dead in the water. Have you had a business idea that you gave up on? A career path or a hobby? A sporting achievement?

At what stage would you consider that you had given it your all. Maybe after a year? What about two years? Maybe even five? What would be your cut-off point when you finally give up on the project?

The question arises, surely, when one reflects on Nelson Mandela’s walk from prison. All of 27 years of a prison sentence later.

He never gave up. He wrote volumes of papers. He gave out words of encouragement to his political co-prisoners,  to the ANC troops outside of prison and outside of South Africa. He kept himself fit and healthy in the belief that at some stage he would be released and have a role to play in eliminating apartheid.

Even during the last years in prison he was still negotiating, arguing and pushing for a one hundred percent democracy. He was offered freedom with certain conditions attached. He turned it down and sat on the now famous island for another few years.

That’s being persistent. Might make us reconsider when we want to give up on a project or challenge we have set ourselves. On the twentieth year anniversary of his famous walk to freedom we can reflect on his achievement and what we can take from it.