There will be a philosophy undergraduate essay that truly discusses what drives people; however, in the interests of getting straight to the point, the answer will be that there is no universal answer. Everyone thrives on being successful but the definition of what being successful means varies from person to person. Whether it is being content in oneself, financially stable, having a loving family, all have merit and distinguishing between them will be easier for some than others. This article will specifically focus on the importance of drive and perseverance when it comes to being successful in business.
One of the things that drives people is vision, which is how most businesses come to be. Being successful in business is extremely difficult and is very much a process of trial and error, regardless of how much research and planning is put into it. We’re all only human and falling short on our goals from time to time is natural.
Though such failure is normal, that doesn’t stop it being any less frustrating. It can shatter the confidence of anyone if affects and push people to giving up. What people don’t understand which they need to, especially those hoping to succeed in business, is that success is not a straight line. Far from it. Success is an endless path with multiple routes and only partly written directions. You will need to take wrong turns and interpret points differently in order to eventually reach that destination. There’s a reason why perseverance remains the mantra of the business world.
What Actually is Perseverance?
The definition of perseverance is “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” It is one of the most fundamental elements of success. The best thing about it is it requires no level of higher education or training to achieve; it comes naturally if your will is strong enough.
Regardless of how good your idea is and what your goal is, the chances of reaching it rest largely on your willingness to persist and persevere when pursuing it. If you truly want something but you quit whilst trying to achieve it, you will never fully know if it would have worked for you or not.
Perseverance means to meet every obstacle head on, remain steadfast and accomplish it, no matter how difficult the task. To do this you will need patience and drive.
What Do Successful People Say About Perseverance?
There are a plethora of quotes that could be mentioned regarding perseverance and that alone shows it’s importance in that it resonates with so many successful people. One of the most famous is that of Muhammed Ali, a champion in every sense of the word, who once said:
“I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, ‘Don’t quit, suffer now, and live the rest of your life as a champion’”.
There is also something to say about the positive mindset that is necessary for perseverance. Being able to flip negativity on its head and see the positive side of things is crucial. Winston Churchill once personified this when he said:
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity / The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Tips For Perseverance
As stated above, perseverance is not something you can get a degree for, which can be construed as both a good and a bad thing. It’s a good thing in that anyone can learn it. It’s a bad thing in that there is nothing specifically you can do to learn it. Some of the most successful businesspeople thrive because they know when they need to ask for help, be this from business advisors, investors or colleagues. However, to get you started on your road to mastering perseverance, below are some tips.
- Clarify your goal
- Intend to achieve your goal
- Maintain optimism
- Acknowledge and reward accomplishments
- Try something new
- Care for your mind, body, emotions and spirit
It’s easy to say “never give up” but actually doing that is incredibly difficult. Perseverance, like business, is something that takes time to truly master. Be sure to always be open to asking for help, don’t hesitate to take time to yourself, when something goes right be sure to acknowledge it and when the chips are down, take a second to acknowledge how they got there, pick them up, and go again.