” It’s almost impossible to fail at any task you set for yourself if you don’t give up until you finish. ”
Heidi Richards Mooney
I’m going to let you in a little secret. It’s the secret to succeeding in just about anything and it’s quite simple. It’s almost impossible to fail at any task you set yourself if you don’t give up until you finish. Persistence and perseverance are the paths to success in any area of your life. The hard part is getting into the habit of doing it regularly instead of giving up or getting distracted.
Here’s how you can teach yourself to be more persistent and persevere in anything you put your mind to. Start with a goal or dream. You have to know what you’re aiming for before you can get started. Once you have your desired end result firmly in mind, write it down. Next, figure out a deadline. When do you want to reach your goal? With that done, you’re halfway there.
It’s hard to be persistent when you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. If on the other hand, you know exactly what your next step is, it’s much easier to sit down and get it done. This is where a plan will come in handy. Look at your goal and map out how you will get from where you’re at right now to where you want to go. What you end up with is a list of tasks to work through. After that, it’s simply a matter of chipping away at them one task at a time. No matter how small or ambitious your goal, this simple step-by-step approach will make it easier to get there.
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.”
Thomas A. Edison
This really is the secret to persisting and persevering in anything. When you have your plan in hand, it will be easy to keep going. Simply don’t give yourself the option to give up until you reach your goal and you’re there. Start with something small and give this approach a try. It may be a little tough at first if you’re not very good at seeing things through right now. The good news is that it becomes easier and more natural with practice. A little effort now to develop these habits of persistence and perseverance will make it much easier going forward to do anything you put your mind to. If you ask me, those are habits well worth developing.
“Start small and don’t allow yourself to give up in everyday tasks.”
Heidi Richards Mooney
With that practice under your belt put your eye on bigger tasks and plans. Before you know it you’ll be ready to tackle even the biggest and most involved projects and find yourself turning into the tenacious, productive person you’ve always wanted to be. Go out there and get stuff done!