Thank you to David Parker for this topic: perseverance.
I’d say there are two kinds of perseverance which is officially defined as “the continued effort to achieve despite difficulties.” One kind is consciously refusing to give up because you believe you will succeed, as in “I won’t quit! I will do this no matter what!” The other kind is simply plodding along. I’ve done more of the second kind.
A friend described me as persevering with my entrepreneurial efforts, but I see them as simply trying to make a living. I don’t have a choice about needing money to live. Trying to find the niche I can fill as a freelancer is a matter of economic survival. But apparently this counts as persevering.
I think persevere is just a fancy word for not stopping whatever you’re doing. People like to put it in speeches and sound bites, and use it when they’re talking about political resistance. But it just means you haven’t quit. Yet.