Persistence – High Octane Success Fuel

You Can Train Yourself to be Persistent

If you asked any sales manager what quality she would love in her business-developing team, persistence would be right up there. Persistence is high-octane fuel to a growing business. It is a state of mind, therefore persistence can be cultivated.

Persistence is based on definite causes:

1. Definiteness of purpose. Knowing what one wants is the first and most important step towards developing persistence. A strong motive.
2. It is quite easy to acquire and maintain persistence in pursuing the object of intense desire.
3. Self-reliance. Belief in one’ ability to carry out a plan encourages one to follow through (self reliance can be developed through autosuggestion).
4. Definiteness of plans. Organized plans, even weak or impractical, encourage persistence.
5. Accurate knowledge. Knowing that one’s plans are sound, based upon experience or observation, encourages persistence.
6. Sympathy, understanding, and harmonious cooperation with others tends to develop persistence.
7. Will-power. The habit of concentrating one’s thoughts upon the building of plans to achieve a definite purpose.
8. Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes part of the daily experiences upon which it feeds. The worst enemy, fear, can be cured by forced repetition of acts of courage.

Spasmodic or occasional effort to apply the rules will be of no value. You must apply all the rules until doing it becomes a fixed habit.

Those who cultivate the habit of persistence enjoy insurance against failure, or apply their desire so persistently that defeat is finally changed into victory. They see it as an urge to greater effort, being totally unaccepting of life’s reverse gear.

The Weaknesses you must Master, to Win Success

1. Failure to recognise and define clearly exactly what one wants.
2. Procrastination, with or without cause. (admire the formidable array of alibis or excuses!)
3. Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.
4. Indecision, the habit of “passing the buck” on all occasions, instead of facing issues squarely. (also backed by alibis)
5. The habit of relying on alibis instead of creating definite plans for the solution of problems.
6. Self-satisfaction.
7. Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions, rather than meet opposition and fight it.
8. The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, and accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.
9. Weakness of desire, due to neglect in the choice of motives that impel action.
10. Willingness, even eagerness, to quit at the first sign of defeat. (based upon one or more of the six basic fears)
11. Lack of organized plans, placed in writing where they can be analysed.
12. The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself.
13. Wishing instead of willing.
14. The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches. General absence of ambition to be, to to, to
15. Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent (usually reflected in gambling, or trying for ‘sharp’ bargains)
16. Fear of criticism, failure to create plans and put them into action, because of what other people will think, do, or say. Enemy No. 1! because it generally exists in ones’ subconscious where its presence is not recognized.

Huge numbers of people make mistakes in marriage and go through life miserable and unhappy because they fear criticism which may follow if they correct their mistake. This does huge damage by destroying one’s ambition and the desire to achieve.

Countless numbers of people allow relatives to wreck their lives in the name of duty, because they fear criticism.

People refuse to take chances in business, because they fear criticism which may follow if they fail. This occurs where the fear of criticism is stronger than the desire for success.

Too many people refuse to set high goals, or even neglect setting a career, because they fear the criticism of relatives and “friends” saying “Don’t aim so high, people will think you are crazy”.

Most ideas are stillborn, and need the breath of life injected into them through definite plans of immediate action. The time to nurse an idea is at the time of its birth. Every minute it lives, gives it a better chance of surviving.

The fear of criticism is at the bottom of the destruction of most ideas which never reach the planning and action stage.

The only “break” anyone can afford to rely upon is a self-made “break”. This comes through the application of persistence. The starting point is definiteness of purpose.

4 Simple Steps to Develop Persistence

1. A definite purpose backed by burning desire for its fulfilment.
2. A definite plan, expressed in continuous action.
3. A mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.
4. A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through with both plan and purpose.

A magnificent reward

The magnificent reward of taking these four steps is writing one’s own ticket.

My notes extracted from the evergreen “Think and Grow Rich”, by Napoleon Hill.