Lincoln understood something most people miss about perseverance: it's not about speed, but about irreversible forward motion. The real wisdom here lies in accepting your own pace while refusing the comfort of retreat—a distinction that separates stubborn dreamers from those who actually change their lives. When you commit to never retracing your steps, you stop wasting energy on the paralysis of second-guessing; you must instead solve problems *ahead* of you rather than spiral back to easier ground. A person starting a business on a shoestring budget, moving slowly but steadily without abandoning the venture when profits don't materialize immediately, embodies this principle far better than the entrepreneur who repeatedly pivots back to safety.