Enthusiasm is the fire that keeps the burn going.  Excitement about your vision!  Clarity of your big picture! 

Your thought process needs to be constantly replenished in order to keep the enthusiasm going.  If you create the habit of replenishment, however, your enthusiasm will become the muscle behind all your actions.

The oft-quoted Arland Gilbert said, "What a man accomplishes in a day depends upon the way in which he approaches his tasks. When we accept tough jobs as a challenge...and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen. When we do our work with a dynamic conquering spirit, we get things done."  

Develop strategies to keep your level of enthusiasm high.  Treat yourself well, both physically and mentally.  "Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else," said American stateswoman and First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Ways to keep enthusiasm fired-up:

1.  Define your purpose.  "Make no little plans! They have no magic to stir men’s blood," wrote Daniel Burnham, 19th-century Chicago architect.

2.  Believe in yourself.  Keep a journal of your accomplishments, both large and small.  Add one accomplishment each day.  You may have been taking yourself for granted.  Solitary self-applause is good for the spirit.

3.  Create a list of definite plans, with time limitations.  For example, Ernest Hemingway made a daily word count on a chalkboard,  Dave Eggers hits his goal of 3,000 words per week in Salon, a pre-owned auto sales man may target three sales per week, etc.

4.  Gain accurate knowledge in your field of expertise.  Read trade publications, peruse the advertising sections of your target group to learn what matters most to them, be alert to the details.

5.  Work to gain the cooperation of others who can assist you toward your goal.  I recently read Homer Hickman's fascinating article that spawned October Sky.  Hickman is one of the original "Rocket Boys."  Of the folks of Coalwood, West Virginia, Hickman wrote, "At least a hundred miners and their families were on hand for the launch of Auk XXXI, each with a tale of how they had helped us in some way."  Others want to help!

6.  Focus on your target.  Resist the temptation to get sidetracked.  Keep a journal for new ideas that come up along the way.  Write them down for future action.

7.  Habitually practice enthusiasm.    Interpret ongoing circumstances with up-beat attitudes.  Be dynamic.  Smile often.  Picture the end-result with clarity. 

In the words of T. E. Lawrence:  "All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."