“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
Winston Churchill
Perseverance is Continuing without regard to discouragement, Rejection, Obstacles, Feelings, or failure!
The Apostle Paul lists some of the trials he faced in pursuit of his goals:
Imprisoned repeatedly
Flogged
Exposed to death again and again
Received 39 lashes five times
Beaten with rods three times
Pelted with stones
Shipwrecked three times
Each time he got back up…He had Perseverance!
Learning how to deal with and overcome obstacles is a critical trait for those of us who want to succeed at something.
Here are some techniques or approaches that you can use to build Perseverance.
Failure is Good.
Perseverance comes from failing and getting back up. Without failure, you cannot become resilient. So change your relationship with failure to seeing it as a lesson rather than a setback.
Get Better every day.
Push yourself to do more and go further than you did yesterday. Go past your thresholds of Pain, Discomfort, and Fear.
Take Risks.
Calculated and Strategic Risks create more Failures. More Failures Create More Lessons, Opportunities, and Perseverance!
Exercise Daily.
Apply the 40% rule. The rule is that if you complete 40% of the task, your likelihood of quitting drops drastically. One of the best ways to develop this skill is physical training.
Build a Support Group.
Build a Support Group that includes Mentors, Coaches, Accountability Partners, and like-minded People. This Group is your Team or Board of Advisors, Encouragers, and at times Your Tough Love Group!
Create a Treasure Map.
Success can be a long and tough journey. Create benchmarks to provide yourself rewards (Treasure) along the way. This helps you to enjoy the journey and creates some much-needed Motivation/Fuel.
Remember your Why
Why are You doing what you’re doing? Your Why is your Passion. This is your North Star that will guide you through the Storms of Rejection and Regret and The Dark Times of Failure.
Paul understood his WHY, and it kept him on course through every obstacle he faced.
It is rarely the most talented and educated people that make it; it’s the ones who Persevere!
My Number 1 Fear is dying with regret. The regret of not knowing what I could have accomplished but didn’t because I was scared, didn’t work hard enough or gave up when it got tough.
Giving up is easy; Perseverance is Hard.
Practice these steps daily and watch how your Perseverance becomes bigger than your Fears.
Find Your Passion…Find Your Life!