“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” — Napoleon Hill
I think one of the best realizations I ever had is that a prerequisite of success is persistence.
In order to accomplish anything you really want, you absolutely have to be open to making mistakes, learn from them and most importantly …
be willing to push forward day after day (with possibly no end in sight) for as long as it takes.
If only I had known this just a little earlier in life. Things would have been so much easier, but hey, you live and learn … right?
Looking back, I know exactly where I went wrong.
I used to have all of these great ideas, get all inspired and motivated about them, and then start working as best I could to make my ideas become a reality.
But, then something would go wrong.
A part of my plan wouldn’t work as I had thought it was going to or things wouldn’t really fall into place like I wanted. After a while, I would stop working at whatever it was I wanted to accomplish or I would work at it only half heartedly because the doubts about my success had started firmly planting themselves in my mind.
I would say to myself that it just wasn’t meant to be or I would get distracted and allow something else to take my focus.
If I had realized that things weren’t always going to fall into place, it would have been obvious to me that the things that went “wrong” weren’t signs I should stop or quit, but rather pointers in the direction of what I still needed to learn and strengthen.
I would have understood that everything that happens, the good, the not so good and even the ugly are all a part of the process … essential parts of the journey to success.
And, that is what I now know without a doubt.
If you really want something and it feels 100% right for you deep down, you have to be willing give it your all, learn the lessons, redo what’s not working, look for alternate routes and not allow any temporary defeats to chip away at your confidence or convince you it is time to move on.
You’ve gotta stay the course and keep going.
That is the lesson I was supposed to learn all of those years ago, but I know it now and can apply it to every single thing I do going forward.
And, if this isn’t already your philosophy, I want you to join me.
how?
1. No excuses. No talking yourself out of what you want. Choose Today that whenever you are working to accomplish something that is really important to you, you will be persistent and continue to work at whatever it is, day after day until you get it.
2. Decide you will be patient. Anytime things aren’t moving as quickly as you would like, remind yourself that your job is to continue to do all you can and to be patient. You have to give yourself and the things you are working to accomplish the time they need to unfold perfectly.
3. Open yourself to learning. Be willing to try different things and even make mistakes. Realize that some of the mistakes you make will only make you stronger. Think about that great quote by Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.
4. Always remember the importance of the journey. Remind yourself there is something “bigger” going on and know that you will learn so much about yourself and life by continuing the journey. Don’t quit now. You have come to far.
Live Today Better than Yesterday.
Share your wisdom with us. We are all in this together. What did you think of this post? Do you have anything else to add to the list? Also, if you have any questions or think there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to send me an e-mail (sibylchavis@gmail.com) or leave a comment below. I always love hearing from you.
Thank you so much Sibly for this post this imspire me to be my best, and to be patient for what I want in life. Am excite in learning every post you send me. Thanks again
You are very welcome Mary. So glad that you liked the post. Thanks so much for dropping by and its great to know that you will be coming back again:)
I like the concept that everything works together for good. We might not see the good in sad or unfortunate events, but it is all part of the journey, as you said. I like the story in the Bible about Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery. Later, he rose in power and when his brothers ended up coming to him for help, they apologized. He responded, “You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.”
When we persist, we show our faith in ourselves and in the “universe” that it will all turn out right.
Galen … That is totally tweetable, “When we persist, we show our faith in ourselves and in the “universe” that it will all turn out right.” I love it. Thanks for sharing your wisdom here.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom. This one particularly has helped motivate me to get going in de-cluttering and painting my home. I too have started sooo many projects, spent money for supplies and then have them sit around my house because I’ve allowed myself to be discouraged by one thing or another. Persistence is what I gained from this article. By the say, the print on your site is very, very light, particularly the blue. Again, thank you. Have a blessed day.
Thank you very much for this post Sibyl. I actually make a copy of all your posts. So the next time whenever I feel low, I’ll read them. The current one is an excellent motivator and expecially the lines “learn the lessons, redo what’s not working and do not allow defeat to chip off your confidence” is the best one.
Thanks so much Sumant for the kind words. I am so glad that you are enjoying the posts. I really appreciate you letting me know. I also am glad to hear that they are helping you motivate. Please let me know if you ever have any questions or if there is anything I can help with. Thanks for dropping by.
You look pretty. You are perfect personality of my life. I want to follow you and your ideas in my life. Your beauty is unmatched.
Thanks so much for the kind words Kunal. I am glad that you like the blog and are enjoying the articles here. Thanks for dropping by.