10 Tips on Persistence

1. Get back up. If you get knocked down nine times, get up the 10th. That's the key. You can't let the setbacks get to you personally. People may tell you "It can't be done." Sometimes all that means is that they couldn't do it. Don't let other people's thoughts make you think differently. When you're knocked down, get back up again no matter how much it hurts you or your pride. You never know what may happen the next time.

2. Chip away today for success tomorrow. One step at a time—that is how great things are accomplished. Achieving "overnight success" may take years, but it will come to those who are focused, persistent, and keep their eyes fixed on their goals. If you lay one brick each day, pretty soon you've built a foundation, then a room, then a whole house. It can only be done one brick at a time.

3. Can't get through the door? Try the window. If the window is locked, go down the chimney. Look for every opening, try every single possibility. Don't give up because the one way you've tried is blocked. There are many paths that lead to the same destination. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake somebody up."

4. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Life is full of potholes; you can't avoid them all. The one thing you can count on is that the going is going to get difficult. That's when you find out what you're really made of. That's when you realize that you can do 10 times more than you thought you could. Yes, you'll get worn down. You may have to take a break to rest and recover. But when you come back, you'll be so much stronger and so much wiser about dealing with potholes than you ever were before. Surprise yourself; surpass yourself. That's what creates your inner strength.

   Steel must endure the forge in order to become strong. Adversity is the tempering of one's mettle.

   —Anonymous

5. Get help. There is a romantic image we all have of the rugged individual, the one who blazes new paths relying only on his or her own stubborn strength. That is a romantic fantasy. There's no reason to do everything yourself. There are lots of people around you who will be more than willing to help. Some may turn you down. Some may not believe in you or your dreams. Ignore them! Find those out there who can lend you support, whether it be physical, financial, or emotional. The tenacity of a team multiplies the tenacity of the individual.

6. Build fortitude with patient courage. Keep the body, mind, and heart focused. I've been working on a project for seven years, and it is just now becoming a reality. Of course, this was not the only project I had during these seven years. Still, I never gave up on this particular dream. There are things in life that may take time for you to achieve. Speed is not always of the essence. Sometimes the old adage that "slow and steady wins the race" is the way the world works. It takes both courage and patience to keep going when a goal seems unattainable, but that's how the greatest rewards are gained.

   How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success?

   —Elbert Hubbard,
   author

7. Prepare and practice. There is a method of kung fu called hing kung, which is the art of walking on any substance, including snow, grass, and sand, without leaving footprints. This requires years of intensive practice. There is only one way to become a master of hing kung, and that is by concentrated effort, day in and day out in very small steps. You cannot proceed to the next step of practice until the last one has been mastered. It takes tremendous discipline and patience. The hing kung student is prepared to fail many times. Yet every time he fails, he gets up and begins again. You can become a master of whatever you pursue by practicing your craft over and over, no matter how many times you fall or fail, and by believing that in the end you will be successful.

8. Keep the faith. Speechwriter and game show host Ben Stein once said, "It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated...it is finished when it surrenders." You cannot be persistent unless you believe in what you are doing, unless you have faith even through defeat. To put it another way, when you go after Moby Dick, bring the tartar sauce. Think of the rewards that will come your way once you accomplish your goal. Don't give up. Belief and faith are what make tenacity possible. Your enthusiasm and positive attitude are the momentum that makes the going a little easier.

   Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.

   —Dale Carnegie,
   teacher and author

9. Get beat up. Dive into the action. You can theorize all you want, but there is nothing like being in the thick of it to teach you the lessons you need to learn. You can learn a lot by reading books and magazines, from listening to tapes, from watching what other people do. But experience is the best teacher there ever was. When you go out there, you set yourself up for scrutiny. You're going to get beat up. You don't have to go out looking for a fight, but you have to face the blows when they come. And you have to know, especially when your opponent is bigger and stronger than you are, that you have it in you to go one more round. You may be defeated, but the next time you step into the ring you'll be a much better fighter.

   Bulldogs have been known to fall on their swords when confronted by my superior tenacity.

   —Margaret Halsey,
   author

10. Focus. Stay in the moment. Think about what you have to accomplish at the moment you're doing it. You can reflect upon the past and dream about the future when the project is completed, but while it's under way, keep your focus sharp and to the point. When your attention drifts, your tenacity falters and you lose sight of your goals. When your concentration is strong, however, you are so focused that nothing can distract you from your task.

    Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul.

    —Simone Weil,
    author