To Persist
Persistence, just the sound of it, makes me feel alive. Back in Power Word #5, Purpose, we shared a fun exercise to find and identify your superpower. Well, persistence is mine – setting my mind to do something and keep going, no matter how many times I get knocked down. Sometimes the more falls, the greater the victory.
Definition of Persistence: firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
While I have not yet shared much about my journey so far, know this – long story short, I survived. Persistence was the key. Persistence is that moment, when you get up off the ground, even if it is only on bended knee, take that deep breath, and then stand up again. It will defeat perfectionism every time, because it allows, even embraces, the imperfect journey we are all on. Persistence is what makes making mistakes OK and even necessary. It is often said how we learn the most from our mistakes. Combine the wisdom of those moments with the incredible power that comes from persistence, and you become unstoppable.
Patience (Power Word #8) and Persistence go hand in hand. Patience is the pause and persistence is the effort to keep going once you catch your breath.
Just Keep Swimming
Persistence is what steps in when drive stalls. – Steven Kotler, “The Art of Impossible”
In the movie, “Finding Nemo”, Dory has a famous line “Just keep swimming!”. If you have seen the movie, you might hear the sing-song way she says it, and it is sure to make you smile. This is persistence at its finest. Even facing the deep blue ocean, sharks and jellyfish, she is ready to keep going and try again. Persistence is that knowing that anything is possible. It is the thought that it is better to fail at trying, then to not try at all.
Another great example comes from a recent video interview I watched of Alex Rodriguez; he said that the reason he was the top paid baseball player of his time and how he became an all-star boiled down to two words – fundamentals and confidence. He worked hard every day to get better and better at the fundamentals of baseball. Always willing to learn, try again, look for ways to improve and do better. Then, when he stepped to the plate, he had the confidence to succeed. The part where each day he showed up at practice ready to try again, ready to put in the work, ready to see if he can even do things 1% better – that is persistence.
Trust + Believe = Succeed
No matter what life throws at you on your way to your goal, whether personally or professionally, even if persistence isn’t your superpower, it can still be an awesome tool in your toolbox.
Fall down 7, get up 8. – Japanese Proverb
A few years ago, during one of my morning reading rituals, I was journaling, and I felt compelled to write the word “Trust” on the wall opposite me, so I could see it every day when I read. I didn’t realize at the time why this was important. Now, several years since that moment, I finally get it. I needed to start trusting myself, my intuition, my inner guide. This picture is the actual wall in my sitting room where I wrote “trust”, it is ironic that in writing this blog I am just getting the connection to the plaque sitting above it!
My other favorite word for years has been “believe”. I have had it printed and written in so many journals and prints, that I lost count. It lifts me up just to think about that word.
About a month ago, it hit me! They go together! They are the magic formula behind my superpower, behind what it means to practice persistence. It isn’t only about the actual effort, it is so much more.
Trust that you have all you need right inside of you to get there, Believe you are capable of doing any and all tasks that need to get done, and Success will find you.
With persistence in play, perfection doesn’t stand a chance. Persistence is the ultimate laugh in the face to perfection. Perfection! Ha! It isn’t about being perfect, it is about giving it all you got. This is at the core of all you Willingness Warriors. Whether we have been pushed to our knees, lying flat on our backs, or even face down in the mud, there is a spark ready to ignite, called persistence.
Meet the Author
Fran Attilio is the Chief Integrative Marketing Strategist at Ten Touch Creative. Fran is Reiki 2 attuned (currently in master mentorship program), and 200-hour trauma informed yoga teacher. Fran’s approach integrates her learnings in energy and yoga training, and she is here to change the way we think about our businesses. Business cultures traditionally have used “it’s not personal, it’s business” as a shield for years. The first thought to change – it’s all personal. Everything we do in and for our businesses is rooted in who we are and what we believe. Entrepreneurs go out on their own to do things differently, and we are here to help them find success doing what they love.