Anything worth having in life comes with a price tag paid by persistence. Photo / 123rf
What is the engine/source that powers us to success with some of our goals while other goals remain in their embryotic state never seeing the light of day? Persistence and its close cousins, perseverance, patience, permanence, and yes, even perspiration all play starring roles.
According to famed Scottish historian, writer, philosopher, and mathematician Thomas Carlyle, "Permanence, perseverance and persistence despite all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguish the strong soul from the weak."
This simple yet profound principle of persistence can be defined as:
Knowing what we want and taking that first step – Be tough, be ambitious, and know exactly what you want. "Knowing what you want is the first step towards getting it." - Mae West
We must define and clarify our objective/desire. Identifying our wants and desires lays the blueprint, the pattern for the energy of manifesting to flow through into physical form. It is the seed, once planted in fertile soil and continually nurtured and acted upon, that produces the sweet taste of success.
This "identity, or blueprint" defines the energy needed for creation into space and time, giving it life. The more clarity and details filled in, the better and quicker the results.
Visualisation techniques help tremendously with this exercise. Imagine or picture your end goal or whatever it is you want to achieve. Think about how good it will make you feel once accomplished.
Star athletes are trained to use visualisation techniques to "see" and "feel" their success long before it happens. It's a powerful process of programming the sub-conscious mind.
Writing goals down and keeping journals and files filled with related images empowers our success even more and allows us to feel, see and absorb what it is we are trying to achieve. There is a lot of energy that flows through our hands into the pen or pencil we are holding or through the emotion felt when struck with a visual image.
These tools are all-powerful aids that help us to manifest our goals They all contribute towards consciously manipulating energy to our desired end, but it is up to us to tap into them.
Taking the first step is the only path to the last step, so we cannot allow procrastination or fear of failure to prevent us from ever starting. It may be true that we do not have to fear losing if we do not begin. However, we will never see or taste success without that first step either.
Accepting that we are entitled to it - We must believe we can achieve it. Our beliefs must be in alignment with our end goal/desire and that can only happen when our minds/beliefs are free of guilt or other negative associations whose influence serves to block our success.
Our mental, emotional, and physical energy must resonate together. When we are mentally onboard, our emotions flow freely allowing us to feel the joy and excitement of accomplishment, the experience and success of achieving our end goal. These are the ingredients used to manifest whether we are manifesting consciously or unconsciously.
Our mental beliefs, our feelings and our actions towards our end goal must align. If they do not and we allow negative mental influences to affect us, then our creations are sabotaged from the start and never have a chance of manifesting physically.
We must pursue it mercilessly, without stopping until it manifests – Every significant feat accomplished is preceded by trials and tribulations bar none. This is the point along the path where we really feel the power of persistence – where winners get separated from losers/quitters.
Persistent people do not allow obstacles to stop them because they do not perceive obstacles. Quitters see obstacles (likely because subconsciously they are looking for a way out) but winners perceive challenges to overcome because they are firmly rooted in achieving their goal.
"Perseverance and persistence in the face of adversity is what defines champions." Winners never quit and quitters never win. It is really that simple. The difference between a successful outcome and a failed one is persistence.
Persistently pursuing our goals, steadfastly setting our mind/radar on achieving our objective no matter the external circumstances, provides the energy needed to power through all adversity to success.
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." We either give up when the going gets tough or we get tough and persist until we achieve our objectives.
If the road to your goal suddenly seems bumpy and filled with potholes, take courage in the sage advice of Winston Churchill, "If you're going through hell, keep going."
Persistence is courageous, unrelenting hard work. It is closely related to our personal development because it empowers and boosts our self-esteem and builds our confidence. It is the single quality that guarantees success and the habit of victory for those who refuse to give up or give in.
Anything worth having in life comes with a price tag paid by persistence.
• Carolyn Hansen is the co-owner of Anytime Fitness.