“Oh my god, this is my school.” Dave exclaimed.
“Dude, I know.” I returned. We were about an hour into our task, dubbed the “Perseverance challenge,” and in very high spirits. Everyone was given menial, repetitive activities to execute; things such as juggling or learning a skateboard trick. Once we had our activity, we had to work on it all day.
The sun was completely hidden and snow was falling. The concrete was soaked from the rainfall the night before. We were stationed in the rollerskating rink behind the skatepark, and everyone was spread out, focusing intensely on their tasks. Glancing over, I noticed a few of my group members overly frustrated. I approached, looking to help raise spirits.
“How are you?” I asked.
“Stuck. Tired. Cold.” Aubrie replied, “I think I’m going to head back at this next break. My motor skills are shot in this weather.”
“Shoot. I totally understand. Maybe get Dev’s help when you’re back at the hostel?”
“Totally!”
We worked for a while longer, each person keeping to themselves. Towards the end of the day, everyone showed off what they’d been working on. The progress was tangible and the mood was tired and satisfied. During our debrief, everyone went around sharing their individual experiences and challenges. It seemed that each activity was challenging to different people in different ways and understanding where your capacity for struggle is can be extremely helpful to pacing yourself. No one quit and everyone improved, and this lead to everyones growth in perseverance.