Persistence & Determination

Not Too Early or Too Late

Persistence is the key to reaching the most worthwhile goals we set for ourselves and what is so great about that is that there is no age limit. You are never too young or too old. Babies and toddlers, teenagers, and young adults to the elderly set goals for themselves, and those goals are reached. Therefore, you cannot be easily discouraged.     

What is so great is that it does not matter how successful or not you are; this still applies to you. So, don’t be too quick to dismiss what you hear here. Instead, it would help if you listened to what you read. It is never too late to learn or reinforce what you know.

Those things in life that you want and do not get were likely the next step away, that step that you did not take. Some are reluctant to set lofty goals for fear of failing to reach them. Wth this thinking, they never will. But one thing you must be is realistic. You must know your SELF. And your SELF is you.

No matter the time spent on the task, you are not likely to succeed unless you are keenly aware of your strengths and weaknesses, which is the reason why many fall short. They were aiming for a place beyond their capacity. The solution, as in most thi gs we do, is to prepare for the tasks ahead. You must have the right “tools” to do the job. To prepare yourself for the task, it might mean taking courses at your local campus or online, doing research, or buying and learning to use “actual” tools. Even so, each of our brains has different learning capacities. It should be your mission to reach for that limit. And when you or any of us can say I have arrived, that will be the day.

Persistent Steps

Persistence and Determination

The best way to reach our goals is through a step-by-step process. There are only three different steps you can take to get there. They are the first, next and last. The next step should be as many as you need to take to make your last step. Going backward will only get you there if you then go forward. And going sideways will only keep you on the level you are on now. So, you take the three steps to get to where you are going, a step at a time, until your goal is accomplished. This way, you know how to do it, and it will serve you well to reach your next goal. Or to do a repeat.

Persistence Requires Patience

“When you do not do all the things you should do, what you do will not be enough to do what you want to do.”

You have arrived, and you have reached your goal, but you did not take all of the steps. How could this be possible? There are many ways; let me list a few: (favor, corruption, cheating, family ties, legacy, and so on). Every step not taken leaves a void, and you will not be sure how you got to where you are. And then you try again—no matter your goal or intentions— it is a place where you will falter and could easily stumble and fail. It goes this way when you only know some of what it takes to get the job done.

You can only get there from here. From here your first step is taken be it physical or otherwise . It does not matter your thoughts or how you think them; it can be done no other way. So, “think from where you stand.”

The distance to our goals is less important than the steps we take to get there. How we think our thoughts decide the path we take in our life. You can think in all directions—including in circles and you will remain where you are until you think of the steps that take you to your goal, your objective.

With persistence, each step you take, you are close to the next step, and each step will show you the way, which will take you home to your goal. Each step is a work activity you must do to reach your objective. It is just another piece of the whole.  And if you want what you do not have, you first must have what you need to get what you want. It Is How You Think.

If you are older, please pass this on to any young people you know. I worked with the young at one time, and I can say for sure, without reservation, that many of the youth from low-income families were then and are now misguided and unrealistic about how the world works, especially the work world. I worked with both Black and White, and there is a stark difference in the attitudes and not in a positive way. Though these were students, it is this way with many of the adults I had as clients.

I was a recruiter and placement specialist for several years and Director of an Equal Opportunities program and experienced it firsthand.  They give up easily, they are not persistent and their expectations are not in line with their attitude and aptitude. I realize this is my experience alone, but I have seen it in more places than one.

Persistence: The key that unlocks the door.