Here are our seven top tips for developing your sense of ‘persistence’ …

➢ Decide what you want to accomplish and set goals.

We all know how important setting goals is for achieving success in any endeavor, so take some time to figure out what it is you want. In a study done in New York several years ago researchers surprisingly found that people who set clear, concise goals succeeded in achieving them 95% of the time! Interestingly, the one caveat or stipulation was that they only achieved their goals if they refused to quit and continued to bounce back from difficulties along the way.

➢ Prepare for Obstacles and Setbacks.

Know and accept that there will be obstacles and setbacks; then prepare for them. Nothing important was every accomplished without adversity, setbacks and difficulties to contend with along the way.

Henry Ford went bankrupt three times before he managed to design his first automobile. He subsequently succeeded to become one of the richest men in the world.

He said: “Failure is merely an opportunity to more intelligently begin again.”

Thomas Edison is said to have tried 10,000 times to create the light bulb before he succeeded.

His attitude was: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

 

➢ Take the first step.

You cannot persevere; much less succeed, if you never try to accomplish something. So many of us procrastinate, fear failure or are too frozen in our tracks to take the first step towards achievement. You will not fail if you don’t try something, however, you will never succeed either.

As the popular saying goes, “The only real failure in life is the failure to try.”

 

➢ Review, reevaluate and revise.

If things do not work out the way you hoped then review the steps you took and the process you followed. Reevaluate by examining what went wrong and where. What didn’t work? What could you have done better? Did you have all the necessary skills and tools? Your findings will be most illuminating, and in turn, allow you to set up a better, more comprehensive approach. You will revise and improve the current strategy.

➢ Garner support and encouragement.

Stay away from naysayers; instead seek advice from those experienced in your field of endeavor and those who want you to succeed. They can assist you by making suggestions and recommendations based on their experience and expertise.

➢ Maintain focus.

One of the obstacles to attaining success is losing motivation and focus. A good way to maintain focus is to visualise yourself accomplishing your goal no matter what it takes. Vividly see yourself accomplishing your goal – keep your eye on the prize. Likewise, avoid getting caught up in negative or unproductive thinking such as, “This will never work.” “I can’t do this.”

➢ Enjoy!

The greatest feelings of accomplishment derive from knowing you’ve overcome obstacles and conquered adversities to achieve your goals. Your ultimate success will be exponentially more satisfying and fulfilling when you know what it took to get there.