Persistence

Life is not easy and for you to be successful, it will take some work. I am sure you have heard the saying that nothing good in life comes easy. Well that is why you must continue to work at it. Hard work pays off. I have looked at my first 5 months of this year and see where I have many places for improvement. Now that I have taken a hard look, it is time for me to set up a plan of action so that I can have the people/things I want/need in my life.

Reaching your goals requires a written plan and a big serving of perseverance. There are specific things to do so your persistence will pay off. Here is a list of important steps: Have a clear picture of your burning desire. Write a statement of definite purpose. Decide what you will give in return for your success. Set a date for accomplishment of your goal. Create a plan to accomplish your goal. Write your plan where it can be added to and modified as needed. Write an affirmation statement that tricks your subconscious into thinking you have already attained your burning desire. Read these statements at least twice a day, morning and night. Change your environment, and surround yourself with symbols that remind you of your goal and resemble your life once you achieve it.

Did you know? "Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting. " - Christopher Morley

Persistence is defined as "voluntary continuation of a goal-directed action in spite of obstacles, difficulties, or discouragement" (Peterson and Seligman, 2004, p. 229).

If you simply measure how long someone sticks with a task it does not adequately capture the essence of perseverance because continuing to perform something that is fun or easy does not involve the overcoming of obstacles or disappointment. This shows up in all aspects of life such as new job, new car, new wife/husband, new boyfriend/girlfriend, new workout, new nutritional plan, and new customers. These are just a few examples of situations that happen in life that can be fun or easy then change to difficult or no fun. Think about famous inventor Thomas Edison and how hard he worked. He did not invent the light bulb on his first try. He put more than 6,000 substances to the test before he discovered that carbonized cotton thread makes a nice filament for the electric light bulb. Some goals are impossible to reach, and some outcomes are simply unavoidable. It takes wisdom to know when it is time to adjust or move on to something else (Janoff-Bulman & Brickman; 1982). Mr. Kenny Rogers says, "You got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em." Did you know? People tend to persist longer at solving problems when they are told that what they are doing is difficult as opposed to easy. Why is this? Failing at a task that everyone else finds easy can be humiliating and damaging to self-esteem. However, there is minimal shame when one fails a widely acknowledged difficult task (Starnes & Zinser, 1983; Frankel & Snyder, 1978) In addition, generally speaking, people with higher self-esteem are more likely to persist on a difficult task then people with lower self-esteem. If you believe you are a competent person with a good chance of succeeding at most things, you are less likely to quit. Rewards Are Important Think about the last time that you had to work really hard to get something accomplished. How did you feel after it was done? Was your hard work rewarded?

When individuals have been rewarded in the past for effort, they are more likely to persist on a future task even if that future task is not directly related to the first (Eisenberger, 1992; Eisenberger & Selbst, 1994). Certain extrinsic rewards undermine persistence. People who perform tasks for money, prizes, or awards tend to lose interest in performing a task for its own sake (Deci, 1971; Harackiewicz, 1979; Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett, 1973). If the reward becomes unavailable, then persistence drops off sharply. In contrast, persistence is encouraged when a reward conveys positive feedback about competence and increases the intrinsic motivation for doing the task.

Here are exercises for building and strengthening persistence that were adapted from a list provided by psychologist Jonathan Haidt at the University of Virginia:

• When you wake up, make a list of things that you want to get completed today that could be put off until tomorrow. Make sure to get them done today.

• Finish a project ahead of time.

• Notice your thoughts about stopping a task, and make a conscious effort to dismiss them. Focus on the task at hand.

• Begin using a time management aid such as a calendar, timer, daily planner, Siri, and/or Alexa to help you. Find a system that works and actually use it.

• Set a goal and create a plan for sticking to it.

Reference: Ben Dean, Persistence Define, Authentic Happiness

Vic Johnson, Persistence Test, Success