“Ambition is the path to success, persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”- Bill Bradley
Often we are taught in school about an idiom that most of us mug up and answer for our essays. This idiom reads as Perseverance is the key to success. Almost all of us know about it, but do we understand the depth of it? Also called Persistence, it is characterized as the ability of an individual to continue doing something despite the difficulties and challenges.
In a world like today, patience is something that most of us lack. As a fast world, the 21st century is finding it hard to be patient and persistent. Everybody is in a hurry to reach somewhere, right from a destination like a workplace, to reach a particular goal in their career. This lack of persistence is what keeps people from reaching heights.
So what is Persistence?
Persistence refers to the ability to keep doing something despite obstacles. Things do not always go as planned. Sometimes failures do come our way but what determines a winner is his ability to knock this hardship and get back on the road again. As rightly said by Winston Churchill, "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm" By this, he means that failures are an integral part of life. It does not mean that success is something that we cannot achieve, but we should strive more and more to reach a goal without losing the enthusiasm to do so. When a person has a can-do attitude and never gives up willingness, they can achieve mountains.
A persistent person gets through all the hardships, overcomes obstacles, self-doubt, criticism, and walks ahead to achieve their goal. An impressive example is Thomas Edison. A person who failed hundreds and thousands of times but got that light bulb right in one. One value for life that he gives that inspires us is that ”A genius is someone who is 1% inspiration but 99% perspiration.” Thus, to reach somewhere, there ought to be failures. It is how we learn and grow. People know you and respect you for your hard work.
How to be Persistent?
Believe in yourself
One of the most salient things that are crucial for most tasks in life is to believe in oneself. It is foremost to be firm on the decisions one takes and be sure about what one wants to achieve. Often, it is very evident, especially in teenagers, a lack of self-belief. This lack of belief is a demotivator and hinges upon the road to success. It is also important to not compare oneself with others. In a race to achieve some goal, there are a lot of runners, but acknowledging that everybody is different and some get results faster than others, is something that will keep you going.
Self-esteem
Research has revealed a high correlation between self-esteem and persistence level.( Di Paula, A., & Campbell, J. D. (2002). Self-esteem and persistence in the face of failure. Journal of personality and social psychology, 83(3), 711–724. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.83.3.711).
When a person believes in themselves, is confident, and has faith in what they do, they are then subsequently ready for whatever difficulties that might come their way. A way to increase self-esteem is to restrain from complaining about what one has to do. Everybody faces dissatisfaction, but that does not mean that one should always keep fussing and clamoring. Doing, only leads one to repress their ability.
Knowledge about what you do
It is essential to know your tasks and actions well. When you know that you have to reach a definite goal, things become clear in your mind, therefore, focusing on those things. Hence, it is prime to have a plan. Keep smaller goals at the beginning and achieve them to boost your self-esteem and then take higher leaps. It is essential to plan and schedule the activities, allocating time for their accomplishment.
Reinforcement
Yet another salient aspect of being persistent is the use of reinforcers. Reinforcers help people stay consistent and move ahead, big or small, extrinsic or intrinsic. When you get reinforced for something you accomplish, you are likely to do it again. Therefore, keep rewarding yourself.
Passion
Be passionate about what you do. Interest keeps one glued to the ongoing activity. Have hope that what you are doing will for sure lead to successful results.
Vision
Have a vision for yourself. Know the 'why' When you know what and why you are pursuing a goal, you will be motivated enough to stay in the game. Understanding reasons fuel the ability to chase goals.
Some exercises you may want to inculcate
Make lists
Making lists of our strengths and weaknesses helps us to focus on ourselves. To be persistent, one might want to work on the weaknesses and turn them into positive ones.
Making to-do lists also helps in being persistent, whether it be a daily to-do list or a to-do list in reaching the desired goal. It helps one have a plan of what and how to accomplish things.
Engage in deep-thinking
Nobody is perfect. Therefore, feeling demotivated and unsatisfied with what you do is integral to being a human. If these feelings occur to you, do not be disheartened, instead, take a deep breath and think about the time and efforts you have already put in. Think about the outcome you will receive on accomplishing whatever you are engaged in currently. Think positively and look at the bright side.
Remember, if you do not enjoy it today, tomorrow you will enjoy it, again. Your goal is still there, waiting for you to get back.
Discipline
In being consistent, it is crucial to be strict with yourself. Following to-do lists, completing things on time, and meeting deadlines are of great importance.
Do not haste
As the famous saying goes, haste makes waste. Indeed it does! Often the demotivating thoughts might lead to overwhelming feelings on the part of an individual. They tend to therefore lead to an emergency exit. Emergency exit is nothing but when people give up in a blink of a second after an encounter with one or two failed outcomes. Saying that it is not my cup of tea or I cannot do this anymore will only lead to future regrets. Instead, take the failure as an opportunity to learn to stand again stronger.
Rest and Restart
Persistency is not a two-week program, but it is a lifestyle. In following all the responsibilities, that one is bombarded with rest is equally important. Often, the process involved in achieving a goal exhausts oneself and makes it a tiring process, thus, leading to a give-up attitude. To avoid this, make resting and restarting a habit. Resting involves having a good sleep, engaging in your favorite activity, listening to music, etc. This aid refreshes the mind and enables oneself to get back on track instead of abandoning the goal.
To conclude
Success does not come to people who do not try. Persistence is the means to grow and develop oneself. It is said, Perseverance is what separates the winners from the losers. No matter how many times you fall, your ability to get up again and chase your goals is what determines a successful person. Keep a vision, have patience, hunger to reach a target, and you shall succeed.
As rightly said by Swami Vivekanand, "Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it and live it.
References
https://www.theotherkindofsmart.com/blog/post/7-habits-of-highly-persistent-people
https://preply.com/en/blog/be-more-persistent-and-never-quit/
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