Most think of courage as an instant.

The decision.

The leap.

The first step.

But there is another.

It’s subtle but important: starting is just one type of courage. The kind required to stay is far greater.

Staying committed to the plan when early gains are minimal.

Staying loyal to the strategy when someone challenges its integrity.

Staying married to a difficult decision once the emotion behind it has passed.

Starting gets applause.

Staying gets Tuesday.

And Wednesday.

And another month of wondering if you should have listened to that guy.

That nagging doubt.

Fear can be persuasive.

Often not in the form of panic.

Sometimes in the form of caution.

Sometimes in the form of analysis.

And sometimes in the form of:

“How do you feel about pivoting?”

Change is good.

But not all signs that you should change are indicators of failure. Some are simply fear speaking.

In business, several of the most crucial things occur well after the launch. Trust builds. Reputation grows. Memory develops.

Have you ever noticed how customers can be warming up to you months before they are actually ready to buy?

Advertising is slow like this.

Which is why companies are often incredibly brave for a few short weeks.

They sign off on the strategy.

Lock in on the message.

Launch the campaign.

Then they sit back and wait.

And, someone always asks:

“What if we tweak it?”

Ok. But before you tweak:

Ask yourself: has the plan failed, or have we just reached the point where courage needs to become endurance?

It matters. Because true momentum almost never looks like this:

Fear => Decision => Victory

True grit is more like:

Fear => Decision => Uncertainty => Doubt => Re-commit => Proof

The middle is where courage lives.

And staying courageous is easier when the right people are around you.

People who remind you why you began.

People who help you separate new information from old fear.

People who keep one uncertain moment from becoming an unnecessary retreat.

That may be one of the least appreciated benefits of a strong community.

Its value is not only that people know things you do not know.

Sometimes its greatest value is helping you remember what you already knew before uncertainty made you question it.

Courage gets you moving.

Conviction keeps you from turning back.

And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is not start something new.

It is stay faithful to something worthwhile long enough to see what it becomes.

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