“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated failures.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

–Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

One of the biggest problems we face as business owners is running out of steam and wanting to give up just when the going gets tough.When faced with a challenge, we need to persist.   When facing adversity, we need to persist.  When feeling down, we need to persist.  When feeling overwhelmed, we need to persist.

But how do we find the strength and courage to persist when all seems lost, or it feels as though there is no reason to continue?  Through your own written word.  Go back and read your values.  Re-read your goals.  Think about what you want and why you want it.  Your inner being has all the answers.  Read your own motivational book.  You’ve been writing and keeping lists for a while now, when things start to feel frazzled, ground yourself by remembering who you are and what your purpose is.  If you haven’t done this already, here are a few articles to get you started:

Determining Your Values

How to Set Clear, Definite Goals

Another common obstacle is that we come up to a challenge and start whining, “But it’s so hard!  I can’t do this.”  Or, “I don’t know what to do next.  I don’t know how to go about this.”  This is where your personal strategic planning comes into play.

Also note that success doesn’t have to be difficult.  We make it that way.  We choose to whine and complain, which means we struggle and make everything look difficult.  It’s really not.  It’s just one step at a time.

I have witnessed many instances where the ultimate reward went to the person who stayed with the company, or committed to their own business even in tough times, or simply committed to their own excellence -  who persisted – and succeeded.

So . . .  Persist until you succeed. (Then you can do whatever you want!)

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Motivation