Why Persistence?

“Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.” – Napoleon Hill

At its roots, persistence is self-discipline in action. The ability to persist through all setbacks in our careers and lives is essential to long-term success. A person’s continued success versus constant failure stems from the amount of persistence exhibited. The application of persistence to any task or goal is often what distinguishes between those who are successful and those who fail in any endeavor.

Self-discipline and persistence are directly linked to one another. 

Every time we discipline ourselves to do what we know we should do—whether we feel like it or not—we always feel good afterward, and we increase our self-esteem. Think about the last time you worked out even though you really didn’t feel like it. Remember how you felt after you finished? Or, what about that last sales call late in the day, when you just wanted to go home—but instead you ended up getting in front of that key surgeon who would help move your business forward? You can’t help but feel good about yourself when you persist.

When you condition yourself through discipline to always persist through any challenge, you continuously reinforce your resiliency; in effect, you become stronger and stronger through every challenge to the point that you will become unstoppable!

There is always a reward for persisting through a difficult time or task. In and of itself, persistence is a huge reward. Every time you persist through a difficult challenge, you not only feel better about yourself, but you also feel in control of your life and its challenging situations. You start living and breathing a true winning attitude—an attitude that says, “Under no circumstances will I ever quit because winners never quit!”

Pursuing anything worthwhile in life must have an element of persistence, and the only way to become persistent is to develop and discipline ourselves with good habits.

While I’m still exploring this subject of persistence in my own life, I have some firm beliefs. One belief I embrace wholeheartedly is this: successful people realize there will be trials and tribulations along the way. They recognize that there aren’t any shortcuts to success and that the road will be infinitely winding. They know that success can be found by embracing their failures and never giving up on their dreams.

Think about it: in all great success stories, we see those we originally doubted, those we initially overlooked, and those we grossly underestimated. Yet in those very same stories, we also see individuals who never gave up, kept pursuing their dreams, and ultimately achieved their goals.

We need to keep striving, keep dreaming, and keep reaching. For those of us who want it badly enough, giving up isn’t an option. The difference between people who accomplish their goals and those who don’t is simple persistence! Reaching any goal entails overcoming obstacles, but every goal, no matter how daunting, will be attainable if you just keep working at it, doing the right things at the right time.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you constantly strive to achieve something and it doesn’t work out. If you observe those who are passionately achieving what they set out to do, their persistence is glaringly evident. As Dale Carnegie said, “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” 

In the weeks ahead, I would like to study some topics related to persistence in our lives and careers:

• Establishing the ability to respond to setbacks
• Exploring optimism as it relates to resilience
• Cultivating a proactive attitude versus a reactive one
• Looking for the gift in challenges
• Resolving in advance to act

I will leave you with the thoughts of Calvin Coolidge on persistence:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

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