Why it is Important to be Persistent
The ability to continue on in spite of difficulty or strong opposition is what separates the “doers” from the “sayers.” It is not a matter of if you will face obstacles, it is a matter of when.
Some of your greatest challenges will come from the outside – lack of support from others, financial struggles or other hurdles to clear based upon external forces in play. As you experience these headwinds, you need to be able to take them in stride and not let them deter you from the mission you are on, especially if they are beyond your control. What matters more is what you have power over, and how you handle the many mental barriers that you put up in your own way.
[ Side note: Mental barriers may include negative thinking and second-guessing, always planning for the worst or never fully confident in the choices you’ve made. Another challenge is lack of direction on what you need to be doing to bridge the gap between where you are and where you ultimately want to be.]
When these come up, recognize these thoughts for what they are – self-preservation tactics that are meant to insulate you from failure. Nevertheless it is critical to able to push through them, and it requires both persistence in thought (“I know I can handle this”) and persistence in attitude (“Nothing will stop me”).
In both aforementioned cases of persistence, the common unifying theme is a refusal to give up, roll over, or take no for an answer. Being persistent is hearing the door is closed and deciding you’re going to find the window.
Not to be mistaken with irrational optimism, it is the state of knowing that you are not going to quit when the chips are down. It doesn’t mean obscuring the reality of the challenges you are going to face, but rather welcoming their presence and channeling them to maintain your momentum rather than bring it to a screeching halt. It is about expectation setting and anticipating failure before it arrives on your doorstop and having a plan to combat it when it does.
Persistence is also rooted in consistency. Consistency is less common than natural talent or unbridled enthusiasm. Rather it is indicative of the concept to just keep moving and to just keep showing up day after day.
This willingness to show up more than anyone else can beat out innate talent in the long run. Who would you rather bet on, the guy who is talented but half-asses everything or the guy who knows he has more ground to cover and refuse to continuously give anything but his all?
In the end, the greatest hedge against failure is being relentless. It takes a certain degree of tenacity to continue to be persistent, but very few have it in their DNA to do so over a sustained amount of time.
When the chips fall, as do those less committed; and when they do, it clears the path for you, who is willing to understand what it takes to optimize for success in life even when it is difficult to remain patient. Be one of those people.