What’s Behind Persistence?

Of all the qualities that predicts success in one’s life persistence would be my #1 choice.  You only lose when you give up, otherwise persisting is the way to make progress.

I know many very senior, successful people who have ONLY gotten where they are today because they never gave up – they persisted until either…

• They demonstrated they deserved what they wanted
• They learned so much from setbacks that they found the way forward
• They exhausted anyone or anything that blocked them from achieving their goals

But what is behind persistence and can it be learned?

Persisting means sticking to your beliefs and objectives even in the face of opposition, obstacles, setbacks and challenges – in fact many people (me included) believe that the more resistance you experience, the more likely you are on the right track. 

What allows us to keep focused, motivated and engaged even in the face of setbacks?

1. Passion…if you are not passionate about what you seek, then move on because you simply will not have the tenacity to work through adversity and that means your ability to achieve is capped.  But even more important, you may as well be working toward achievements that will personally fulfill and excite you – so moving toward your passions will enhance your achievement substantially.

2. Self-Confidence.  Having the guts, stamina and staying power required of persistence means you must cultivate a high degree of self-confidence.  When you hit a bump in the road you must know that you can overcome and continue on your journey no matter what you must face in the future.   In Attracting Greatness, the pillars healthy self-confidence are well explained involving a combination of managing stress and fear, identifying clearly one’s purpose in life and mainting a healthy emotional and physical environment…the ultimate message being that anyone can improve their self confidence with some very basic knowledge and action. 

Persistence is a fundamental catalyst in success and achievement…with passion and self-confidence you can elevate your persistence and get what you want no matter what.  Give it a try.