The value of persistence
This week’s syndicated column “The value of persistence” is published in the following Michigan and Illinois newspapers and digital publications: Midland Daily News, The Edwardsville Intelligencer, Huron Daily Tribune, Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Manistee News Advocate, and Big Rapids Pioneer. The article focuses on persistence and how mastering this quality will help you reach your most audacious goals.
While historians have different takes on Winston Churchill and the methods he utilized in pursuit of his business, personal and political lives, one thing they can all agree on is that he was persistent.
He became famous for the saying “Never, never, never give up.” Stephen Mansfield wrote a book about Churchill's life called “Never Give In – The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill” which I read many years ago and benefit from today. As quirky as Churchill was, you can’t help but admire his persistence.
Had it not been for that persistence, who knows if we’d all be sitting where we are today?
How about you? What role has persistence, or lack of persistence, played in your life?
Do you have stories of successfully pursuing a goal where persistence was the key to getting there?
Do you look back, with regret, on instances that you know if you had just persisted for a little longer you would have achieved what you wanted to achieve?
What examples have you been exposed to where persistence was the key to someone else achieving a goal? What did you learn from that exposure?
Your answers to these questions would reveal a lot about your personal character. When you finish reading this article, I ask that you take some time and ponder the honest answers to these questions and the role those observations can play in your future as you pursue a successful life.
Salespeople are offered a wealth of data that supports the incredible value of persistence. That data would suggest that the top 5% of all salespeople in every industry have mastered persistence and the “never give up” mentality. The persistence that the top five have mastered is based on the perspective that whatever it is they’re selling is just a form of helping people.
If you have opportunities to experience helping other people on a regular basis, who wouldn’t want to be persistent? The key here is that the persistence they convey isn’t selfishness based, it’s based on the Zig Ziglar quote: You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want. The salesperson data is applicable to every other profession in the world. If the foundation of your life is serving others, persistently pursuing that mentality will lead you to a very rich and fulfilling life. It’s that magical place where money doesn’t matter even though it’s unlikely you’ll have financial worries with a foundation of character based on persistently helping others.
So much of the joy I’ve experienced in my life is due in one way or another to persistence. I’ve been inspired by some great examples throughout history. Thomas Edison found over 1,000 ways the incandescent light bulb didn’t work. Yet he persisted until he found the one way it did which changed, and helped, the world. J.K. Rowling was jobless, divorced and living off welfare and had her Harry Potter script rejected by all 12 major publishers, yet persisted until a small publisher gave her a tiny advance of £1,500 and published just 1,000 copies of her book. Rowling has sold more than 400 million copies of her Harry Potter books. Steven Spielberg? Rejected from film school three times, yet persisted. Michael Jordan? Cut from his high school basketball team, yet persisted. Surfer Bethany Hamilton? Lost her entire left arm and almost her life after being attacked by a shark, yet persisted and went on to win the Women’s Division NSSA National Championship.
Personally, it’s when frustration wiggles its way into my life that I lean heavily on persistence as the solution.
Eleven months ago, I was in possession of a book I had completed, which had been professionally edited, and was ready for publishing. Self-publishing didn’t offer the reach I hoped the book would have, so I chose the path of being published by a publisher that would support, get behind and market the mission the book conveys of changing the world by helping others, and thus ourselves.
The only path to getting published includes securing a literary agent who will represent me to the publishing world. The literary agent rejections I’ve experienced have all placed me one step closer to achievement. It is my persistence mastery that will stand beside me all the way to the finish line. One of my publishing world advisors has informed me that I have another 12-18 months before I’ll be able to hold a copy of my book in my hands…and that’s OK.
Persistence reduces frustration and offers patience by having a plan in place that you believe in.
When my first book is finally published, you won’t hear me say “See, I told you so.”
Rather, you’ll hear words describing sincere gratitude for the role persistence continues to play in my life.
The value of persistence can play a major role in your life too, and I sincerely hope it does. I’m urging you to spend some time on the internet pursuing stories of persistence. From Churchill to Edison to Rowling to Spielberg to Jordan to Bethany Hamilton to Martin Luther King Jr. to Abe Lincoln to Oprah to Colonel Sanders to literally thousands of others, their stories of persistence are just waiting to inspire you.
So let yourself be inspired with persistence and then GiddyUp!
In addition to being a syndicated columnist in the midwest, Paul White is an author, motivational and inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, and life coach located in Midland, Michigan. He offers self-help and culture development to start your journey towards consistent growth and joy. If you’re interested in getting in touch with Paul, please submit an inquiry via our Contact Page.