Persistence: The Difference Between Achieving And Merely Trying

Being the most successful person in the room isn't just about being the smartest or the best educated. It is not about who has the highest IQ or has been fortunate enough to be introduced to the right people. Yes all of these things help, but very often what really makes the difference is persistence.

Persistence means keeping on going when things get rough. Persistence means to keep giving it a go when at first you fail. Persistence means to keep pushing through to become really great at something when others give it away.

Being prepared to persist is the difference between near enough is good enough and excellence. It is the difference between achieving and merely trying. It is the difference between giving it a red hot go and letting go of what really is possible before you even really get started.

Persistence builds character. When we achieve something easily we often don't even recognize the milestone. But when we have fought for it, it seems worthwhile. We feel worthwhile. And the learning from the struggle is profound and lasting.

Most of the great discoveries of our world or the achievement of greatness have come from persistence. Thomas Edison took 1000 attempts to discover the answer to the electric light bulb. The Wright Brothers failed many times before they successfully took that famous first flight and Michael Jordan missed more than 9000 shots in his career to becoming one of the worlds greatest sportsmen.

To persist at anything - is a choice. At any time we can choose to keep going, keep fighting, keep learning, keep finding ways to achieve OR we can choose to give up, say that we tried but failed or simply move onto something else that seems easier or more fun.

Like anything, leadership success takes persistence.

• To be a great leader is a life long journey. It takes dedication to learning, to growth, to improvement of skills.

• It takes persistence to completion of projects, delivery of strategy and the achievement of the business vision.

• It requires a long term commitment to coaching and mentoring your team to grow their skills and capabilities.

• It takes strength of character to fight the urge to avoid the tasks that you dislike or you find hard to do and to build your skill in these areas that don't come so naturally to you.

But more than anything, persistence is about belief; belief in you! Without belief that you are good enough, smart enough or worthy enough it is so often too tempting to give up when things get hard, boring, challenging or painful. Belief gives you the drive to continue.

And if you don't have belief in you... seek to believe in the system, your mentor, you team, to push you on to achieve; to keep you going. When I first started out in my own business, I had a dream and big goals. At first I didn't have 100% belief that I had what it took to start a business, so I found a mentor and a system that I believed in. When my belief in me wavered, my mentor and the system propped me up until I developed belief in me.

The one thing to get clear on here, is that there is no over night success! Success in any area of our life takes persistence and hard work. And without it you are only dreaming. Remember, persistence is a choice.

Do you have unwavering belief in you, that you have what it takes achieve your goals?

Be honest with yourself... Are you demonstrating persistence and doing everything you can to achieve your goals?

Jane Benston is a leadership consultant, coach and speaker. She works with leaders at all levels who want to make a bigger impact. She is dedicated to building confident, skilled leaders who can lead high performing teams to improved profitability and business growth.

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