The Secret to Perseverance

"You’ve got to say, 'If I keep working at this, and want it badly enough, I can have it.' It’s called perseverance." ~ Lee Iacocca

I, like you, have chased dreams and pursued worthy ambitions. Some I achieved; others I did not. Many goals exceeded my wildest expectations. A few were disappointments that haunt me to this day. All in a life's work. All part of living. Some you win; some you lose - but at least you played the game.

If I had to choose one word that led to my successes and was the main cause for my disappointments, it would be perseverance. When I persevered in the wake of adversity and setbacks, I achieved. When I did not persevere - when I quit and gave up - I obviously fell short of my own expectations. So here's what I have found to be the secret to perseverance:

~ Demand more of yourself than anyone else would ever demand of you ~

Thoughts from Personal Experience:

1) Validate the Intensity of Your Desire

• I "might" achieve or, I "should" achieve won't cut it. These are low-intensity desires (Like the guy who wants to win the lottery but never buys a ticket). Perseverance requires a much higher intensity level: I "must," or even better, I "will." (I will beat cancer; I must get a better job)

Where there's a 'will' - there's almost always a way

2) Hold Yourself Accountable

• Do what you prefer not to do, in the order you prefer not to do it. Simply put, perseverance means doing what others are unwilling to do, and hanging in there long after they've all let go. It's also called discipline.

If it's going to be - it's up to me

3) Improve Your Skills and Learn to Set a Better Sail

• Jim Rohn said, "It's not the wind or rough seas that matter; what matters is the set of the sail." Becoming a more skillful sailor begins with asking higher quality questions, seeking out the best resources available, and making rest a necessity, not an objective.

Action speak louder than words

4) Turn Frustration Into Resourcefulness

• Years ago, when I was navigating my way through early midlife crisis, I complained to a mentor that I didn't have enough money to attend a training I wanted to attend. His answer virtually changed my life. He said, "Your problem, Mr. Block, isn't a lack of resources, it's a lack of resourcefulness." And he was right. To this day, I hear his voice, and yes, I did find a way to attend the training (and paid it back with interest :-)

The bridge between here and there is called resourcefulness

5) Seek Out No-Problem Collaborations

• You can't believe the magical feeling and the sky's the limit possibilities when you surround yourself with no-problem people. These are people that when you ask them to help address or resolve an issue, they reply, "no problem." It matters who we spend time with.

If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas

The Secret to Perseverance: Demand more of yourself than anyone else would ever demand of you.