Never give up! Persistence is key

It is often said that the difference between success and failure is persistence. Indeed you can fail 99 times, but if you keep pushing, success may well just be achieved on your 100th go. It is this spirit of trying, and then trying again, that is often the hardest part of any important venture.

Indeed, most people that you would consider “successful” are undoubtedly those who have persevered and overcome hard challenges put in front of them. A few of our favourite persistent people include:

• Walt Disney. The creator of childhood classics and a fundamental figure in entertainment, Walt Disney actually lost his first job because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”

• Elvis Presley. As anyone who has recently seen the blockbuster film, Elvis was originally fired by his manager who said “You ain’t goin nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck”

• Oprah. Oprah was born into hardship and poverty and faced abuse from members of her family. Oprah dedicated herself to school, where she excelled and was in turn granted scholarships for college. Her name is now synonymous with talk shows, and she has established herself at the helm of a multi-billion dollar media empire.

Persistence is the key to success because it is reflective of your ability to be consistent. As times get tough, and you’re faced with the choice to quit - we know, it can be so tempting! But if you are consistent, and have habits in place that are setting you up for success, then half the job is already done for you. You’ll be able to keep moving forward to your goals that satisfy you. This is why it's so important to know your why, as that will be your guiding light at the end of the tunnel (see our post about finding your why) and also why it’s important to have good habit trackers in place.

Persistence is hard, but one way to make it easier is to team up with likeminded people who can see where you are and lift you up when times get tough. These can be people that not only keep you accountable, but also motivate you. You can draw upon each other's stories, attitudes and beliefs to overcome any fears of failure or distractions that may occur during your life. This is the case whether it is professional or personal! People who are not persistent often cite a lack of self confidence and ambition as reasons why they have not pushed on. This problem is avoided when you have a support team willing and able to lift you up when times get tough, and to push you to never give up.