Persistence in the Pursuit of Success

By: S.C. Ali

Founder/Author

“Never, never, never give up.” These simple yet powerful words by the great Winston Churchill resonate with us all. They are also the embodiment of persistence. Persistence is a distinct personality trait, which is defined by Merriam Webster as, “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people”.

Persistence is an extremely important factor in success. The concept of success is highly subjective in nature, and can be applied to different circumstances. Whether the success is professional, personal, social, academic, spiritual, or anything in between, persistence is paramount. Regardless, history has proven time and time again that a common thread in pursuing success is: persistence.

Thomas Edison, one of the most prolific inventors of the last 150 years, was subjected to humor as a child in school because his mind often wandered. However, his mother was instrumental in educating him to become one of the greatest inventors. In fact, many of the electronic devices that we use today are in large part due to evolution of Edison’s inventions. He famously quipped, “Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” In other words, the determination and will to move forward regardless of hardship is what will drive you to success.

Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart is another quintessential example of persistence. When she discovered her passion for flying after being flown in a plane by aviator Frank Hawks, she stayed affixed on her goal to become a great pilot. Because flying lessons were expensive, she worked multiple jobs. According to aviationhistory.org, she worked as a, “photographer, truck driver, and stenographer at the local telephone company” in order to afford the lessons. Because airplanes were a novel means of transportation in the 1920s, it involved intense training. However, Earhart persisted and eventually became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

How can persistence be implemented in your life? The first step involves proper goal setting. This is done through careful planning. Please see my New Year’s Resolution article for more details. After composing a specific list of goals and the steps to reach them, it is important to evaluate yourself frequently to monitor your progress. Persistence will play a part in the execution of your goals. In addition, you must expect difficulties in order to succeed. Steve Harvey has said, “The road to success is always under construction.” This is very true, because part of the journey is to struggle. Here are some tips to persist:

1. Have a good support system. This is essential to pursue success via persistence. Whether it is a group of people or one loved one, nobody does it alone. Looking at the aforementioned examples, Thomas Edison had his mother, and Amelia Earhart had her parents. When the difficulties arise, discuss them with your confidants.

2. Do not sidestep the issue. One of the most common reactions when facing a difficulty in pursuit of one’s goal is to ignore the difficulty and find alternatives. Ignoring the issue at hand will only make things worse. Have the courage to face the difficulty head on.

3. Never give up. Again, we come back to the fundamental concept implemented by Winston Churchill. When the going gets tough, remember the big goal. Personally, I find writing the major goals on a piece of paper helpful. When facing a difficulty, I refer back to that paper. Seeing it written on paper rather than just thinking about it does make a difference.

In essence, persistence is critical for success. No matter what goal you aspire to, there will always be challenges. However, what will make you different and allow you to be successful is how you deal with the challenges and move forward. In fact, the most successful people of the past and present have probably faced the greatest challenges at some point. Now is the time to implement my suggestions for yourself. In addition, read about successful figures in history, see how they pursued success, and implement the techniques. By doing so, you will live a happy and fulfilling life.

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Tips to Improve New Year’s Resolutions

By: S.C. Ali

Founder/Author

Happy Holidays everyone! As we approach 2015, people around the world will be making resolutions, which I like to think of as goals and aspirations for the New Year. These goals can cover a wide variety of issues, which include but are definitely not limited to: health, nutrition, habits, traits/characteristics, education, and travel. The idea behind setting these goals is to improve oneself. It is conducive to the main idea behind this blog, which is to attain a happy, healthy, and balanced lifestyle.

One of the most common issues people face when making goals is keeping them. Oftentimes, by the end of January, our goals for the entire year have gone on the back burner and are not accomplished. Therefore, here are some tips that will hopefully improve the quality and longevity of any New Year’s Resolutions we may make, regardless of their nature.

1. Detail your steps to achieving your goals. It is wonderful to have grand aspirations, but if you don’t list the steps you need to take in order to achieve that goal, then the goal has no value. It is vital that these steps are pragmatic and within your reach. For example, if you desire to read one book a week, do you have a detailed plan as to how you are going to achieve this goal? Do you have motivation to read? Do you have time in your weekly schedule to sit down and read? Do you have access to a public library? Are you planning on ordering the books? The questions can go on and on, but if the answer is no to all of these basic ones, then you really can’t expect to achieve the goal.

2. Blending optimism and realism. Optimism and realism are often viewed as two ends of a spectrum. However, they can balance each other out, and the best way to achieve your goals is to strike this balance. Optimism, in essence, is the idea that you are, “hopeful and confident about the future”. If this positive attitude is not implemented, you will not achieve your goals. Imagine if you were pessimistic, and never saw the good in anything. What incentive is there for the future? How could you improve with this kind of mindset? Having too much optimism can lead to idealism, i.e. pursuing goals that are not achievable at the moment. On the other hand, realism is defined as, “accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.” As mentioned in the first point, there must be a sense of realism in order to achieve your goals. Someone who is grounded in realism understands the present situation, and does not ignore the facts. However, having too much realism can obstruct someone from achieving their goals, as they will underestimate themselves. The best way to balance these ideas is to implement point #1 because writing positive self-improvement goals is optimistic while maintaining control over the details is realistic.

3. Persistency and consistency are paramount. There must be persistency and consistency in achieving one’s goals in order to implement resolutions to the highest degree. These two ideas are similar, but different. Persistency is having, “firm continuance in a course of action regardless of difficulty or opposition”. Consistency is the, “achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.” In achieving your goals, there will be obstacles, regardless of your goal. However, you must stay on track if you want to achieve greatness. One of the greatest deterrents for achieving goals is losing that motivation and high quality performance implemented at the beginning of the year. We’ve all heard the term in vernacular, “you’ve lost your touch.” This stems from failure in consistency. As long as the two are implemented, you will be able to achieve your resolutions.

4. Do a self-analysis of your progress frequently. I call this the “quality control” step. This is the most important, which is why I saved it for last. It inculcates all of the prior suggestions. Every week or everyday (my personal preference), look at your detailed goals and ask yourself if you are closer to achieving them. If the answer is no, then you may need to tweak the details section. Perhaps you’ll have to rewrite the goal altogether. The fact is, it should change in order to get back on track. This should not be done monthly, as reanalyzing every month is too large of a time interval. Most importantly, if you are on track, then give yourself a pat on the back, but keep moving forward.

In essence, these are only a few of many tips that you can implement from now in order to ensure that your 2015 Resolutions are accomplished. These tips were self-generated based on personal experience. Do not waste time worrying about what you did not achieve this year, as time is irreversible. Instead, focus on what you achieved this year, and most importantly, what you can do for a better and more promising future.

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2015!

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