I have a friend who has been very successful in her life. When I asked about her perceived secret to success, I heard “education, experience, connections and the right place at the right time”. She will tell you that all of these things have contributed to her current state in life. Interestingly, one thing she won’t admit to is that she is known to be very persistent. Let’s say that that is putting it mildly.
My friend will get something in her mind and will drive it until completion. She will get the job, or get the job done. For many of us watching from the outside, she is a machine. She will never stop until she has done her very best to make it happen. And if it doesn’t happen, she will tell you that she did everything possible to make it happen but ‘you can’t win them all’. And then off to the next challenge.
What makes some people persistent and, so often, successful?
Persistence requires two things: an ‘inner state’, or mindset, that drives everything forward, and a formula.
An aspiring Olympic athlete has that ‘inner state’ to compete at the elite level of his or her sport. Yes, talent plays a role here, but without that ‘inner state’, nothing happens. With this mind set, our athlete then needs to apply a formula.
I read two good articles as I prepared for this post. One dealt with the inner state and one dealt with that process or formula.
Fast Company published an article entitled 7 Habits of Highly Persistent People in 2015. They listed these habits as:
- An all-consuming vision
- A burning desire
- Inner confidence
- Highly developed habits
- Ability to adjust and adapt
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Role models that act as guides and mentors
Each one of these contributes to the inner desire and drive that are so necessary to be persistent. My favourites: the vision and inner confidence. Without either, you may not have what it takes.
Lifehack.org published an article in 2019 entitled 6 Effective Ways to Become Persistent by Lou Macabasco. Here comes the process or formula that makes it happen.
- Identify Your Wants and Desires
- Determine Your Motivation
- Outline Your Definite Action Step
- Keep a Positive Mental Attitude
- Build Your Mastermind Group
- Develop Discipline and Habit
So, we start with some level of talent, not always the top talent, add in the ‘inner state‘ that sets the foundation, and then lay in the formula that makes it happen.
We hear it all the time, ‘persistence pays off’. Yup. It certainly does.
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/6-effective-ways-to-become-persistent.html
https://www.fastcompany.com/3044531/7-habits-of-highly-persistent-people
