The importance of persistence to achieve success in 8 actions

It does not matter what you do in your life, as generally, there will be times when things do not go as planned, times when everything seems to be working against you and times when you fail. At times like these, you feel like giving up, giving up your fight for success.

But, as Benjamin Franklin has already said,

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

Persistence is a fundamental trait to develop in life because it is closely related to personal development and improvement.

You will only improve when you fail, when you can learn from those experiences and move on, having enough persistence or determination to go on and not give up.

Without persistence, your ability to grow and develop as a person will be severely restricted, and it will also be the amount of success, wealth and happiness that you can achieve.

Many think that having talent or excellent training is a guarantee for success. But expertise and knowledge are of little use if you are not persistent.

There is no doubt that hard work surpasses talent. No matter what your abilities are, what matters is how you perform. In the end, what really counts are the results.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; There is nothing more common than talented but unsuccessful men. Wisdom will not; wisdom without reward is almost as conventional as a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated bums. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. “ -Calvin Coolidge-

The importance of persistence: Actions to achieve success

In 2013, Alden Mills, the former Navy Seal platoon commander, currently a successful businessman, as well as author and speaker, published Be Unstoppable.

The Importance of Persistence for Success, a motivational, self-improvement, and leadership book in which Mills tells how he overcame his asthma to become an elite soldier.

Mainly written in allegory form, the book tells the story of a young and inexperienced ship captain who uncovers the secrets of success in the life of an experienced captain.

The young skipper meets an experienced captain who ends up training him in surprising ways, setting the skipper on a new course filled with new dreams and ambitions.

In Be, Unstoppable Mills proposes eight proven actions to overcome bad habits, achieve goals and thus achieve success. They are as follows:

Action 1: Understand your why

Mills says that overcoming asthma, becoming a Navy Seal, and starting a business were his personal goals. “Although each of them was different, the fundamental actions needed to achieve them were the same.

They all started with a clear understanding of what I wanted to achieve and why.

Mills says that everything begins with understanding your reasons; that is, the reasons you have to pursue your dream.

When you know the reason behind your goal, you get the fuel that will keep you going, even when people encourage you to quit.

“Your why will give you the power to drive demons away from the doubt that will inevitably invade your mind.

Understanding your why is an engine of perseverance: it keeps you walking even when you think you cannot do it. It is that important.

Find out what your reason is before starting the journey! “. -Alden Mills-

Action 2: Plan in 3D

“Not planning is planning failure,” says Mills. And he also says: “Planning is nothing but preparing, and the more you prepare, the more chances you have of success.

“Planning is an act of great importance to Mills. For him, all planning must be done in three dimensions, not to create a perfect plan, but to design a plan that will lead you to success, regardless of the obstacles that are on the way.

These three dimensions are:

Define it: Set your goal. What do you hope to achieve and when?
Divide it: Create an action plan, dividing the project into small steps that can bring you closer to your goal day by day.
Develop it daily: Ask yourself every morning what action you can take today to get closer to your goal.

Planning in three dimensions (define, divide and develop) is an act of great importance to achieve success, according to Mills.

Action 3: Train to undertake

Mills advocates training as the best way to achieve success and your goals in life. Thirty minutes of exercise a day can become your secret weapon to make your dreams come true, says Mills.

It’s not just about exercising. But it is a necessary action. Mills says his successes started with exercise, hence the importance he places on physical training.

“Training has been my companion throughout my life. It has given me the confidence and the courage to face my fears, the resistance and the strength to fight for my dreams and, yes, I even thank the exercise for helping me to conquer the woman of my dreams “. -Alder Mills-

Action 4: Identify your reasons to believe

Mills says that “there is a moment in all life situations that pose a challenge in which you have to explore deep within yourself to find the strength to move on. “

Moments when you have to give everything, despite pain and suffering, moments when you identify your reasons for believing.

Everything you have done so far has brought you to that moment. Everything you have done leads you to believe that you can achieve it, and you do what needs to be done to achieve it.

And, when you finally do, your life changes forever, because you learn to believe in yourself.

“The origin of your reason to believe does not matter; what matters is that you recognize this motive behind what you pursue.

Your reason for believing in yourself is your secret weapon to succeed, no matter how big the obstacles you face. -Alder Mills

Mills says that “finding your reason to believe is a fundamental component to achieve your goals” and that “to be successful, you must believe that you can have it. “Identifying a reason to believe will give you strength in the most challenging times and will also inspire others to stay with you.

Action 5: Evaluate your habits

We are all in control of our habits, says Mills. Changing bad habits is as simple as identifying the ones you want to change and making the changes that are necessary to create new ones.

After all, as Mills says, “The process for creating good habits is no different from the process for creating bad habits.”

To develop habits that help you achieve your goals, Mills proposes what he calls the 3 C Method:

Consciousness: Be aware of the habit that is holding you back.
Concentration: Focus on the action or actions that need to be changed.
Control: Once you have evaluated the action, you must change to develop a habit that helps you achieve your goal, take control of it.

Action 6: Improvise

Sometimes you have to get out of the plan because the circumstances require it. And there is no need to be afraid. The problem is that improvising is not as comfortable as it may seem. Mills argues that you need to practice to know how to improvise. In fact, he says,

“The ability to improvise is not a talent one is born with; it is an attitude that you can develop in yourself.” -Alder Mills

Improvisation as a habit is not a natural attitude since the natural thing when an obstacle arises is to follow the instinct to stop and accept it as a limitation, thereby preventing progress. On the contrary, for Mills, improvisation means taking failures, doing things differently.

Improvising is not healthy, but neither is a success. Few people succeed when they pursue their dreams; those who do so are those who have the will to find different ways to reach them. You will not achieve success by doing what everyone else does.” -Alder Mills

Action 7: Seek specialized advice

When Mills proposes to seek specialized advice, he does so with the idea of ​​drawing on the knowledge and experience of those who have already gone through a similar process or are specialized in areas that can help you move faster to achieve success.

Sometimes it will be enough to ask for advice, sometimes you will have to look in the specialized literature, and sometimes you will have to pay for a service.

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. There is no shame for it.

You will need help, so learn to ask for it. The ability or not to do it may turn out to be your best resource or your most significant drawback.

The better your experts are, the higher your chances of success. The sooner you start looking for experts to advise you, the sooner you will reach your goal.

Give up your pride: seek specialized advice! “.

-Alder Mills-

Action 8: Team up

Like the previous one, this action is an exercise in humility. Mills proposes to team looking for people who are good where you do not and res. “You must look within yourself and determine your weaknesses,” although it is not easy to admit, he says.

A teammate not only complements you but also helps you when you’re stuck. Even if the two of you are stuck, it is easier to find a solution between the two than individually.

“No one person can do everything. Teaming up is a fundamental step in achieving your dreams. It can make the difference between languishing in inaction and achieving incredible success.” -Alder Mills

Ultimately, the path to success begins with understanding your why. From there comes the energy source that will keep you active, it is what will fuel the engine of your persistence.

When in doubt, remember your why. As Lao Tzu said, perseverance is the basis of all actions.

Don’t forget why you want to achieve something, and you will always have fuel to persevere to achieve it.

Originally published at https://www.thebrilliance.org on April 29, 2020.