Four Tips for Developing Perseverance

Everyone strives to lead a successful and fulfilling life, but in doing so, many forget the hurdles lying in the path to success. Success isn’t a one-way path or a straight clear line. Its roads are muddled with zigs and zags and ups and downs. You may trip, fall, or even get lost in the way. You are human and may fall short on those difficulties. Failure along the way can lead to frustration, and frustration shatters the self-confidence you have—all these results in reconsidering or giving up on your dreams altogether. 

But have you ever wondered how some prominent names are at the great heights of success? How did they overcome adversity? Dr. Myra L. Weiner reveals that perseverance is the primary key to life’s success. In her memoir, Uprooting the Poison Tree, she narrates how perseverance helped achieve her dreams, both professionally and personally, despite the hardships and adversity she went through since childhood. Perseverance is not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication to follow through with the inherent obstacles and failures, and discouragement. See, if obstacles trip you, you have to pick up yourself and keep going to eventually reach your destination. And that is what Dr. Weiner and other personalities did throughout their journey. 

So how can you get your hands on this key? Perseverance is already within you. All you need to do is learn how to develop and bring this out. Thus, here are four tips for developing your perseverance. 

Clarify Your Goals

There are very few overnight successes. Most people have to put in the work, put in the time, and go the distance. This desire for success will push you harder to believing that one day you will make it. But if you pair it with a clear goal, it provides you with the why in this perseverance. Goals are usually based on purpose, needs, abilities, and passion.  

Being passionate about a worthwhile goal can give your journey meaning and purpose. Providing a reason why you’re doing this intensifies your motivation level. This leads to beautiful findings, broadens the knowledge about yourself. What you want to achieve should be clear in your mind then you’ll find a way to get you from here to there. 

Take a Step

Perseverance commences when you take your first step. Experience yourself living your goal today. Hold your desired outcome firmly in your mind. When a challenge is thrown in your way, face it head-on. Thinking and overanalyzing the problems will not overcome them, but taking action will lead to a solution. Sitting and delaying the current situation will lead to more hurt and frustration. It is imperative to just charge and address. Each step taken is a step towards the solution. Thus, moving you in the right direction, regardless if this step, may feel small or big. Just remember that whatever obstacles come your way, move forward as quickly as possible. 

Develop a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, plays a massive role in developing perseverance. Those with a growth mindset embrace challenges and views failure as a springboard for growth and stretching abilities. While those with a fixed mindset grip into the notion that success is based on one’s intelligence, talents, and little effort.

As mentioned earlier, the journey to success isn’t easy; it takes perseverance. However, even if you have perseverance, you’ll feel unworthy and helpless if you’re set with a fixed mindset. Growth mindset makes you embrace the concept of continuous learning. Believing in a growth mindset allows acceptance of failure and obstacles as part of the journey. All these are seen as essential steps on the way towards the lifelong goal.  

Live in the Present

When you aren’t living in the present, you become a victim of time. Your mind is pulled into the past or the future, maybe even both. Of course, it’s normal to think about the past or daydream of the future. Looking back on failed and successful endeavors can build the perseverance needed in the present. But when life becomes influenced by the thoughts attached to past or future outcomes, this stops you from enjoying the presence you feel. The concept of time dupes you into concerning yourself with its passing and impending arrival. There is no redemption to be found in time. So surrender to the now, wherever you are, commit to being there completely.