What, why and how it will bring you success
Do you have goals that you did not follow through and regret somewhat?
Do you wonder why some people are able to attain what they set their aims on?
Do you wish you could be like them and realise your objectives?
Having the gumption to do what you want to do is not enough. You need dogged tenacity to get there.
It seems easy for some people but really you need to hear their story.
This is a common occurrence in majority of us. The iron will belongs to only a few enlightened beings but that does not mean you cannot become one. Not many people have this stick-to-itiveness but it can be cultivated.
Why do some people lose that grit?
Factors include fear of failure, loss of interest, lack of practice, lack of preparation and loss of focus.
One of the most current famous symbols of persistence is personified by Jack Ma. Currently worth billions and the founder of alibaba.com, Mr Ma comes from humble beginnings.
His classic rags to riches story is due to his astounding level of grit and pluck.
His obstacles in life included failing many exams in school. He was rejected from Harvard ten times but I am more fascinated by the fact that he bothered to apply ten times given his results. This showed his tenacity. He was turned down for 30 jobs and became the only interviewee to be rejected by KFC.
However, Jack Ma embraced whatever happened to him and went on to become an English major. Even after he started Alibaba.com, he suffered many failures but he soldiered on and with his team was able to turn Alibaba into one of the biggest online E-commerce companies in the world.
Jack Ma says, “If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.”
Where do you get the inspiration to have dogged persistence?
We could read about other top achievers like great athletes , entrepreneurs, famous stars and personalities etc
You find that they have a life structure. If you examine closely, the following points are pertinent.
1 Firstly, their purpose in life is crystal clear. This is to ensure orderliness.
With that comes planning that is comprehensive and thoroughly researched.
2 A top achiever would execute the plan consistently and persistently within a time frame.
3 He or she would also regularly review how far the goal is in sight.
When there are failures, they are seen as part of the journey and temporary setbacks. The fight must go on.
4 They would seek out like minded friends who have the same goals so that there is sharing of ideas and they can mutually encourage each other. Also, they would have an idol or another significant figure to model after.
Personally, the ball is still in your own court. Only you can hold out as long as you want. No one can tell you to give up unless you do. The following tips may help.
1 If you set out to achieve a goal, make sure it is a burning desire. Then it must be an ambition that is purposeful and worthy that is not only beneficial to yourself but also to others.
2 Find out all the ways that would bring you closer to your dreams. Seek advice from people who have achieved and hopefully willing to mentor you. Search for information through friends, mentors, books, courses, internet and social media. knowledge is power so apply it.
3 Have a reasonable time frame during which you should set smaller goal posts along the way as targets. This shows you are moving towards your goal.
4 Analyse your errors and remove them accordingly. Improvise and improve all the time.
5 Work at it consistently and record your results. Psyche yourself with positive thoughts and a ‘can do’ attitude. Each incremental achievement, pat yourself on the back or share with someone who care.
6 Expect the road to be long and tedious and there would be other trade-offs such as sacrifices of other pursuits. Expect to work hard work as there is no shortcut to success.
7 Be realistic- not every goal may be attained on a single try . Sometimes, you may have to step back and take a breather but do not lose heart. When you come back to it again after a hiatus, it may just lead to you to success. Never give up. Even if you did not achieve ultimately, you have established a pattern of persistence in your pursuits.
What are the traits of tenacious people?
Generally, they have a vision and a higher purpose other than living day to day. They are self motivated and have a positive outlook even in dire circumstances.
They do not see failures as obstacles but as lessons and they would give themselves many chances.
They are passionate and have great energy. They want to achieve so badly that they can even will the energy. Now, notice that talent is not mentioned here.
Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US president said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Looking back, I exhibited the tenacity when I first started my practice. I started on the 6th floor of an office building which had no visibility. Rental was cheap going for less than $2 per square foot and I had a 1000 square feet. The lack of visibility was worrying. I wanted to succeed very much and I could do some professional introduction of myself to the tenants in that building. Surprisingly, people were receptive. There were no slamming of doors or chiding. Some even made appointments immediately.
The world was my oyster. I had office buildings all around mine. So I introduced myself formally to the human resource departments of companies. It took courage, a thick hide and tenacity to speak to strangers and felt kind of odd but I knew persistence would pay off. Ultimately, I gave myself many chances to succeed in my new practice by treating my patients very carefully and requesting for more of their referrals. Glad to say that I was in the black from the start.
Have the habit of persistence. The feeling of victory is far greater than the agony of defeat. If you have faced defeat then fight to become victorious and that form of success would taste sweetest.
Tiger Woods should know this. He fell out of grace from personal troubles and lost his focus. He had multiple knee and back surgeries and even dropped outside the 600 ranking. Incredulously, Tiger clawed back to win a major in 2019. This is indeed remarkable and only possible from a top achiever who had evaluated and strategised and then carried out his game plan assiduously.
Persistence is bitter but the fruits are sweet
Just one life. If you have a dream, give it all you have got. Persistence rarely disappoints. Even if you fail in one goal, the habit of persistence will pay off for your next one.
“That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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