The Power of Persistence

One of the things I regularly talk about in my marketing seminars is persistence. So many people struggle with this and unfortunately it’s one of the biggest reasons why businesses fail. Because let’s face it—dreaming about your goals is the fun part, but without the ability to see them through, dreams are only that.

The great thing about persistence, though, is that it doesn’t have to be something you’re born with. Yes, some of us are naturally more persistent (some might say stubborn) than others, but like resilience, it’s something you can easily teach yourself. Let’s take a closer look.

Persistence Is A Practice

A quote that really resonates with me is “97% of the people who quit too soon are employed by the 3% that never gave up.” Bingo! And I would add to that, “the 3% who train themselves to think positively.” I believe that persistence begins not with what we do; it begins with what we say, to ourselves and others. Phrases like “I tried, but…” and “It’s impossible…” and “Maybe I’m just not lucky enough to be successful…” are poison to the power of persistence.

I’ve been in this business for over 17 years (and have experienced my own failures, more than once) and I’m here to tell you, anything can be monetized, and anyone can be successful, if only they don’t give up. Remember, J.K. Rowling was famously rejected 12 times before finding a publisher for Harry Potter.

So, toss those worn-out excuses to the curb and replace them with this simple question: How can I improve on what I’ve already tried?

Anyone can be successful, if only they don’t give up.

AN EYE ON THE PRIZE

Another way to build persistence is to ask yourself (at least once a quarter), what are my goals for the next few months? How about the next three to five years? Maybe you started off wanting as many clients as you can handle, but over time, realized you’d rather have fewer clients who are willing to spend twice as much. Or you set out to be the best waxer in town, but now find that you’re more passionate about giving facials. Regularly checking in with your “why” not only keeps you on track, it also allows you to adjust your goals as needed.

CHANGING THINGS UP

You’ve probably heard some version of this quote by Albert Einstein that “insanity is defined by doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Yet that is exactly what we sometimes do! We get so focused on what “should” have worked, or what worked for other people, that we refuse to change gears and hop onto another track. A perfect example of this is weight loss. If you set a goal of 10 pounds in 30 days by exercising 30 minutes a day and after one month, you’ve lost only three pounds, you need a new strategy. Maybe that something new is a slight adjustment to what you were doing or maybe it’s something altogether different. The easier thing to do, of course, is plop on the couch and binge on ice cream, call up your friends and blame everything on genetics, and give up. Instead, take those first baby steps, knowing ahead of time that you’ll probably stumble and fall a few times (because that’s life—whether you’re trying to get back into your skinny jeans or grow your business), get back up, and try something new. Maybe for your body type, you need an hour of daily exercise, or to cut out snacks after dinner (even healthy ones). The point is to keep trying.

SUMMARY

Persistence is a powerful tool that each of us has at our disposal. It is the choice that we make whether to implement it—or not. It really it just as easy to say, “I will succeed, no matter what” than it is to say, “Things rarely work out for me.” Now, set your intentions and go get ‘em, tiger.