Secrets To Success Part 2
Today, in part 2 of our series on success, I wanted to talk about something else successful people all seem to have. Today’s topic is:
Persistence.
I believe it was Albert Einstein who once said the meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results each time. People often ask me if there is something particular skill they can work on to be more successful. I believe persistence is one of those skills. It is very important to have a goal, as discussed in secrets to success part 1 and continue to strive to reach that goal. If you are persistent, you can make up for a lack of other skills and talents that may make meeting that same goal easier for someone else. Often times, you will meet people who made it big, and yet they don’t seem to possess any special skills that should afford them the success they have. It is not just due to pure luck. Granted, they may have had a lucky break, but that is only because they kept pushing for it. They did not give up when times got tough. I often find that people do not meet their goals, yet they possess everything needed to do so. You are using the most powerful tool in your possession right this minute – the Internet. Use this tool to help in achieving your g0als. As the old saying goes, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. It is the reason I continue to work on my old Corvette – if I keep at it, it will be a cool car one day. If I had given up the first time I had a problem, I would have quit ages ago.
The next question on your mind, I would guess, is how to start? The easiest way is once you have your goals set, and on paper, you need to start working at them now. Make your goals into an absolute necessity, and treat them as such. Also remember that if you are trying to reach your goals, and not seeing progress, don’t give up – make a change. Find a way to change your approach. Perhaps you need to start from scratch, and use a totally unique approach to meeting the goal. Perhaps it just needs some minor tweaking. Don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works and what doesn’t. The most successful people are those that can identify if something is working or not, and change if it isn’t. They are persistent, however they realize that doing the same thing over and over again expecting it to magically work doesn’t make sense. What happened when you learned other skills in your life, such as riding a bicycle or swimming? You went out there, over and over again, trying this and that until you finally figured out what worked. Now you can replicate that over and over again, being successful every time at using that skill. Why should your other life goals be any different? Try different approaches, tweak your technique, and keep at it until you make it happen. You will be there in no time, if you are persistent.
The trick to persistence is to just start at the beginning. Don’t let self-doubt rear it’s ugly head. Be sure to set a small goal, and start on it right away. If you wait too long, or don’t work on it often enough, you will start to lose faith that you can do it, and you will indeed fail. Don’t let that happen. Start small though – everyone has to start somewhere. You cannot expect to be the fastest marathon runner on Earth if you have never run more than 100 yards in your life. They, too, had to train to run the first mile, before they could run 26.2. Treat your goals as if they are a part of your life – not a sideline. Think of your goal just like you would things such as doing your chores, paying your bills, or washing your car. If you think of it as something that must be done, and you give it the time and energy, you will be able to more easily achieve the goal. The bottom line is – DON’T GIVE UP! Winners never quit, and quitters never win, as the old saying goes. If you make 100 excuses why you cannot succeed, you never will. If you find a way around those 100 things, on the 101st time you will knock it out of the ballpark.
If you make goals important enough in your life, and persist in getting them accomplished, nothing will stop you. Nothing!’
Tomorrow – part 3 in this series.
