Author, H. Besser, in his book, "Perseverance: How To Develop It," shares a Norwegian fable about a man who left his hometown to rejoin his fiance. They were to get married when he arrived.

On the way he chose to take a different route because the direct route to his fiance was boring and lacked adventure. Eventually, the man forgot about his original objective of meeting his fiance and spent years on a journey to "no where." More years passed before he realized how far he was off of his original path.

As he retraced his steps to get back, his fiance stopped waiting and married another. By the time the man reached his original destination, he was much older, alone and poor and had nothing to show for his long journey.

Here are 6 things you and I can learn about perseverance from the man in the Norwegian fable:

1. Know what you want to achieve as it relates to your health and stay focused on it. The goal of the man in the fable was to meet his fiance in another town to get married. The key to identifying and achieving your goals and dreams is to know what you really want. For example, you decide to take advantage of the free six-month health club membership you won at your company's picnic because you're appreciative of the gift. However, the results of your annual physical showed that you should lose about 20 pounds. What you really want is to look and feel healthier by lowering your cholesterol and getting your body toned. Know what you want and stay focused on it.

2. Expect distractions along your journey to the goal and dream you desire. The man in the fable knew the direct route to get to his fiance, but chose an alternate route because the one he was on was boring and monotonous. In time that road became boring too and he was looking for another route. If you don't keep your goal in mind, it's easy to stay in bed when it's raining or snowing outside even though you told yourself you're going to the gym three times a week to tone up to feel healthier.

When distractions come, have a plan of action to counteract the distraction. Your plan of attack could include an accountability partner, mentor or coach. It could also be to say your goal aloud to affirm what you want to achieve throughout the day. Know what you want and stay focused on it.

3. Take the time to think about why you want to achieve your goal. The man in the fable was more concerned about the journey than the reason for arriving at his destination. Your reason for accomplishing something must be big enough to keep you focused on the direct route regardless of what is going on around you. In our example, ask yourself why do you want to feel healthier. Make it a big enough reason to spark excitement and passion. Your big reason might be that a certain disease runs in your family and by being more conscious of what you put in your body and exercising regularly, you don't have to become a statistic. In fact your goal is to become a success story so that other members in your family see what is possible by looking at your life. Know what you want and stay focused on it.

In Part 2 of '6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance,' I'll share 4 more tips to keep you focused on your goal.