SELF-DISCIPLINE AND PERSISTENCE
" BEWARE OF ENDEAVORING TO BECOME A GREAT MAN IN A HURRY.
ONE SUCH ATTEMPT IN 10,000 MAY SUCCEED.
THESE ARE FEARFUL ODDS".
--- BENJAMIN DISRAELI
PERSISTENCE IS SELF-DISCIPLINE IN ACTION. YOUR ABILITY TO PERSIST IN THE FACE OF ALL SETBACKS AND TEMPORARY FAILURES IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS IN LIFE.
NAPOLEAN HILL SAID, "PERSISTENCE IS TO THE CHARACTER OF MAN AS CARBON IS TO STEEL". THE PRIMARY REASON FOR SUCCESS IS PERSISTENCE, AND LIKEWISE, THE PRIMARY REASON FOR FAILURE IS LACK OF PERSISTENCE, QUITTING TOO SOON.
THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SELF-ESTEEM. EACH TIME YOU DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO DO WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, WHEN YOU SHOULD DO IT, WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT, YOUR SELF-ESTEEM INCREASES. THIS WHY THERE IS DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-ESTEEM AND PERSISTENCE. EACH TIME YOU PERSIST AND FORCE YOURSELF TO CONTINUE ON, EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE QUITTING, YOUR SELF-ESTEEM GOES UP.
EACH ACT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE STRENGTHENS EVERY OTHER ACT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE. EVERY ACT OF PERSISTENCE STRENGTHENS EVERY OTHER ACT OF PERSISTENCE. WHEN YOU DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO PERSIST, OVER AND OVER, YOU LIKE AND RESPECT YOURSELF MORE AND MORE. YOU BECOME STRONGER AND MORE CONFIDENT. EVENTUALLY, YOU BECOME UNSTOPPABLE.
THE REWARD OF PERSISTENCE
PERSISTENCE IS ITS OWN REWARD. EVERY TIME YOU FORCE YOURSELF TO PERSIST ON A TASK, WHETHER IT IS LARGE OR SMALL, YOU FEEL HAPPIER AND BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.
WHEN YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE AND DO MORE THAN YOU ARE PAID FOR OR MORE THAN IS EXPECTED, YOUR SELF-ESTEEM GOES UP. YOU FEEL MORE POWERFUL AND IN GREATER CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. IN YOUR CAREER, WHEN YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE YOU PUT YOURSELF ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGLES. THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNERS AND LOSERS IN LIFE IS SIMPLE. WINNERS NEVER QUIT, AND QUITTERS NEVER WIN.
YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO PERSIST BY TALKING TO YOURSELF POSITIVELY. SAY THESE WORDS. "I AM UNSTOPPABLE!" BEFORE YOU BEGIN ANY MAJOR UNDERTAKING, PREPROGRAM YOURSELF BY TELLING YOURSELF, I NEVER GIVE UP".
BEFORE YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE IN LIFE, YOU HAVE TO PASS "THE PERSISTENCE TEST". THIS IS USUALLY A "SNAP QUIZ" SPRUNG ON YOU UNEXPECTEDLY WITH NO WARNING. YOU SUDDENLY FACE A MAJOR SETBACK, PROBLEM, TEMPORARY FAILURE, OR EVEN A COMPLETE DISASTER. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, REMIND YOURSELF THAT THIS IS THE "TESTING TIME". THIS IS WHEN YOU DEMONSTRATE WHAT YOU ARE REALLY MADE OF. THIS IS WHEN YOU SHOW YOURSELF AND OTHERS THE STRENGTH OF YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR TRUE DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED.
YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND
YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO SETBACKS - YOUR LEVEL OF "RESPONSE-ABILITY"- IS THE MEASURE OF YOUR READINESS TO SUCCEED. WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE A MAJOR SETBACK OR PROBLEM, YOU WILL FEEL TEMPORARILY STUNNED. THIS FEELING IS VERY MUCH LIKE A PUNCH IN THE EMOTIONAL SOLAR PLEXUS. YOU WILL BE STOPPED FOR A FEW SECONDS OR A FEW MINUTES. DURING THIS PERIOD, YOU WILL OFTEN FEEL DISCOURAGED OR EXPERIENCE SELF-PITY. YOU WILL SAY, "WHY ME"?
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT HOW FAR YOU FALL THAT COUNTS, BUT RATHER BUT HIGH YOU BOUNCE. YOUR AIM IS TO BOUNCE BACK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF UNEXPECTED REVERSALS IS VITAL TO LONG-TERM SUCCESS. REMEMBER THE WARRIOR'S CRIED. "I WILL LAY ME DOWN TO BLEED A WHILE, AND THEN RISE AND FIGHT AGAIN".
DON'T BE SURPRISED, SHOCKED, OR SET BACK WHEN THINGS GO WRONG. YOUR BEST - LAID PLANS WILL OFTEN FALL APART. INSTEAD, EXPECT DISSAPOINMENTS AND SETBACKS AS A PART OF LIFE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, PICK UP THE PIECES, AND CONTINUE ONWARD.
OPTIMISM GIVES YOU RESILIENCE
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY YOU NEED FOR SUCCESS AND PERSISTENCE IS OPTIMISM. THIS IS A BOUNDLESS CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR ABILITY TO ULTIMATELY SUCCEED. TO REMAIN OPTIMISTIC, YOU MUST CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE YOUR THINKING WHEN THINGS GO WRONG. REFUSE TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF. REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM. YOU ARE A ADULT, AND YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN LIFE. YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU HAVE FREELY CHOSEN TO DO. SETBACKS COME WITH THE TERRITORY. THEY ARE MERELY SPEED BUMPS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS.
REFUSE TO BLAME OTHERS OF MAKE EXCUSES. WHEN YOU COMPLAIN OR BLAME OTHER PEOPLE, IT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL AND SOUND PETTY AND SMALL, AND, WHAT'S WORSE, IT TAKES AWAY YOUR PERSONAL POWER. WHENEVER YOU CRITICIZE OR COMPLAIN, IT FEELS YOU WEAKER AND REDUCES YOUR ABILITY TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE SITUATION. INSTEAD, GREET EVERY SETBACK BY REPEATING, "I AM RESPONSIBLE".
LOOK FOR THE REASONS WHY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED RATHER THAN TRYING TO PASS OFF THE BLAME ONTO OTHER PEOPLE
