You’ve failed many times before.
It’s harsh when people start doubting you. It’s even worse when you start doubting yourself.
Will you ever succeed?
Will you “make it” to the success land?
Don’t worry, you don’t need to read a crystal ball to predict your future.
To achieve success in life, you need a single trait that any person can develop. And it doesn’t take years to develop the trait.
You can develop it right here, right now.
Growing up, I was a stubborn kid.
I used to desire absurd things and did everything I could until I get what I wanted.
When I meet relatives who only saw me as a kid, they always ask…
“Oh dear, are you still that stubborn?”
Then they go on telling me a story of my stubborn behavior that even I don’t remember since I was a kid back then.
Of course, I was immature. I’m grateful for how my parents handled me and changed me into a more mature person.
I don’t make absurd demands anymore. But there’s something I haven’t changed about myself.
For years, I suppressed my stubborn nature. Because people said I must get rid of it.
It made sense. So, I suppressed my nature to become a civil person.
But then after several years, I reconnected with my inner child. I listened to it without judgment.
Something magical happened when I listened to the child inside me.
I accepted it.
Instead of using it to demand silly things, I use it to persist and drive myself towards my ambitions.
The art of persistence
Most people don’t persist.
Most people don’t know what they really want in life.
Most people say they want something but they don’t really want it.
The reason people give up is not that they lack something in them.
People give up because they never took the time to ask themselves what they truly want and why they want it.
Before you learn to be persistent, learn to let go.
Let go of all the things you don’t want bad enough.
Protect your persistence for one to three things at a time. All the other things are distractions.
If you commit to everything, you don’t commit to anything.
Persistence doesn’t come to you by wishing for it. You need these elements to evoke it:
Desire
Know the difference between “meh” desire and strong desire. Is your desire as strong as your willingness to live?
When you desire something strongly enough, you’re willing to make massive sacrifices and go through any change no matter how hard it gets.
Clarity
Know what you want in life. Don’t set vague ambitions. Don’t have one-word desires like “money,” “fame,” or “freedom”.
Define in details what the word means to you. The more you define, the clearer you get.
Purpose
Why do you want what you want? The first answer is never your core why.
Uncover the hidden layers of your purpose. Dig deeper and ask yourself the question of “why” five or more times.
Commitment
When you have your core “why,” go all in. Get to the point of no return. Commit 100 percent.
When you make a precommitment, you don’t depend on motivation or willpower.
Plan
Set intentions. Have a plan of execution.
Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect or rigid. But you need a direction for smooth execution.
Action
Just do it whether or not you feel like it. Honor yourself and do the thing you said you’ll do.
Protect your time and energy to execute your plan. Make a daily success checklist and turn daily actions into habits.
Investment
Invest in the knowledge, skills, and connections you need to reach your goals.
Become a lifelong learner. Practice the skills you need to get what you want. Establish relationships with people whom you can co-operate and synergize with.
Protection
Protect yourself from discouragement coming from failure, criticism, and negativity. Avoid it or be indifferent to it.
Protect your mind from all the distractions in life. When in doubt, eliminate.
Responsibility
Life happens and things will get in your way. What would you do in those situations?
Either you blame and complain or you take charge and get things done in whatever little time you have.
Belief
Believing in the face of defeat is what will get you moving. Because when you lose hope, you can’t execute your plan of action.
It’s easy to get going when there is momentum. When you lose momentum, use the power of belief until you gain it back up.
The missing factor
You may follow all the habits of successful people. You do everything to reach your goals.
So what’s the missing factor?
The missing factor is time spent persisting.
Different goals need a different level of persistence which also depends on how far you are from your goals.
Some people may need one year while some may need 10 years to reach the same goal.
Don’t let the time discourage you. Time will pass anyway. Run your own race and keep taking bold actions.
Almost all successful people persisted for years before they became successful. They were not born successful. We only got to know them after they became successful. We never saw what went behind the scenes.
So if you’re not successful today, it doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to succeed.
You have everything it takes to get what you want.
You can succeed.
The only question that remains — will you choose to succeed?
Success is a result of daily actions…
Design your daily checklist for high performance and success. Click here to download your free copy.
Originally published at DesignEpicLife.com