Why persistence? Why, of all character traits, do we need to be persistent? Because persistence leads to success. It’s the one thing you need to keep going after your dreams in the face of numerous setbacks and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
As quoted by American author Hal Borland, you can only gaze at grass in awe of how it can thrive in the direst environment.
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.
– Hal Borland
So knowing how persistence can pull you through all the difficulties you face towards success, it’s one habit you should develop right now.
What is being persistent?
Being persistent means sticking with what you’re doing or trying to do, even though it’s difficult and full of obstacles.
It entails persisting in the face of skepticism or discouragement from others, particularly those close to you.
Almost always, success is the result of perseverance in the face of major setbacks and a lack of evidence of progress toward the goal.
Persistence distinguishes those who succeed from the many who tried but gave up along the way.
Benefits of being persistent
There is something to be said for persevering on a project or undertaking that you want to complete.
Persistence will not only provide you with a sense of accomplishment once the task gets done. It will also provide you with the following benefits, among others.
A great deal of learning
Attempting a project that is massive or simply impossible will almost certainly result in a slew of failed attempts. However, all of your failures will provide you with valuable experience in what NOT to do, as Thomas Edison stated:
“I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
– Thomas Alva Edison
As a result, persistence provides you with a wealth of knowledge that you would not have obtained if you had given up.
Develop consistency
When you are persistent in what you do, you will also most certainly develop consistency. That character trait of doing something regularly and with focus.
Awareness
Persistently pursuing your dream will also make you more aware of yourself—both your strengths and your weaknesses.
With awareness, you learn how to capitalize on your strengths, overcome your weaknesses, and seek out people who can assist you in achieving success.
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Tips on how to develop a persistent habit
Here are some ideas to help you become more persistent when you feel like giving up on your dreams.
Develop confidence
It is a good idea for you to have inner confidence so that you can continue with whatever you set out to do.
A healthy dose of self-assurance will help to keep the naysayers at bay. Belief in yourself will allow you to have faith in your abilities and the realization of your vision.
Admittedly, your confidence will get tested at times. But once you have it instilled in you, it will serve as your constant source of determination and resolve.
Ditch the backup plan
A backup plan may appear to be a wise move, but it will only lead to you doing things half-heartedly and not giving your all.
Knowing you have something to fall back on will not make you persist in pursuing your dreams. The first sign of failure or discouragement may give you enough reason to pack up and go.
So, to ensure that you keep going after the vision you have in mind, ditch that backup plan.
Maintain a positive mindset
Maintaining a positive outlook in life helps tremendously in persisting and achieving success.
A positive mindset enables you to counter disappointments along the way. It allows you to look at failure as a learning process and not as a stop sign in the pursuit of your dreams.
Trust the process
In the pursuit of your dreams, it is important that you focus on the process rather than the result. This way, you will not be easily deterred when you don’t feel like there is progress in what you are doing.
Focusing on the process also allows you to adjust and refine your actions. It enables you to think of solutions to problems rather than getting overwhelmed when your focus is on the end result.
Do not compare your progress to others
Different folks, different strokes. Each individual is unique, so is their progress in life. Some people excel in one aspect better than the next individual but will not fare as well in another aspect of life.
Therefore, you shouldn’t compare your progress to that of other people. Your yardstick of success should be your own statistics, your own accomplishments.
Prepare for setbacks
Since life is not a bed of roses, expect that your journey towards that something you want to achieve will not be easy. Know that your path is strewn with pitfalls, disappointments, and every difficulty imaginable.
So it is wise to prepare for these negative events. Have a plan of action for when you face some challenges that will make you want to quit.
Also, have a strong visual reminder of what you are trying to achieve. And have a positive mantra that you will say to yourself a few times a day.
Alternatively, keep a list of accomplishments you’ve had so far on your journey. It will serve as a reminder that you are growing and moving steadily towards your big goal.
Seek help
It’s okay not to know everything there is to know about your goal. What is important is that you are aware of your shortcomings. And are willing to learn and improve on yourself.
Additionally, it is also admirable to admit that you need help from others who are already knowledgeable or know more about a certain skill than you.
It will save you a great deal of time and effort.
Famous people who are persistent
Here are some examples of people who persisted and went on to accomplish something:
John Augustus Roebling and his son Washington
Nobody believed in John Roebling that it is possible to build a bridge that would connect Brooklyn to Manhattan, New York. Later on, he was able to convince his son, Washington, that it can be done. And so the construction began.
At the beginning of the construction, there was an accident that killed John Roebling. His son then took over as chief engineer. Washington Roebling, however, was not spared from tragedy because he got injured from decompression sickness and had some form of brain damage.
But Washington persisted in getting the bridge completed. With the help of his wife, Emily, Washington Roebling continued the project until its eventual opening on May 24, 1883.
Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is a historical landmark admired for its architectural and engineering accomplishment using steel for cable wire.
Dashrath Manjhi
Dashrath Manjhi is also known as the mountain man. This is because he manually built a road that can be used by his fellow villagers.
His persistence in digging out a road was a result of his wife, who perished from an accident. But her life could have been saved if only the hospital was more accessible.
From this tragic incident, Manjhi resolved not to allow other people to experience the same tragedy as he did.
So, he single-handedly carved out a road through the mountain so that facilities, like the hospital, can be accessed easily by his fellow villagers.
He withstood backbreaking labor, simple tools, ridicule, and lack of support for 22 years.
Today, the road he built from sheer labor serves as a perfect testament to how a man can achieve an amazing feat by being persistent.
Colonel Harland Sanders
Col. Sanders kept pitching his fried chicken recipe to various restaurants.
Despite many rejections, all 1,009 of them, he persisted and continued to knock on doors for interested investors.
Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken is one of the well-known fast-food chains, not only in the U.S. but around the world.
Summary
To summarize, persistence is the trait of not giving up on a goal or vision in the face of adversity. It is a quality that you must possess in order to be successful in life.
The benefits of persistence include learning from your mistakes, developing consistency, and awareness of your strengths and weaknesses.
Here are some tips to incorporate into your daily actions in order for the habit of persistence to take root:
- Develop confidence,
- Ditch the backup plan,
- Maintain a positive mindset,
- Trust the process,
- Do not compare your progress with others,
- Prepare for setbacks, and
- seek help.
Apply these tips to help you develop the habit of persistence which will result in the successful achievement of your goals or visions.
Just like some of the famous persistent people who never gave up, namely:
- John Augustus Roebling and his son, Washington,
- Dashrath Manjhi, and
- Colonel Sanders.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about 7 Tips On How To Develop A Persistent Habit in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
9 Simple Habits You Can Learn From Vampires
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down
Outside references:
Brooklyn Bridge
7 Ways to Persist When Everything in You Wants to Give Up
Dashrath Manjhi Road