The Importance of Perseverance and How To Build Yours

“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

The quote above underlines the importance of perseverance, which is a principle of progressive growth and success.

A lot of successful people have built their success on the backdrop of several setbacks, disappointments, and unforeseen circumstances. However, they’ve successfully stood tall by simply persevering.

There are days when the going gets tough, the days of zero motivation because you’re seemingly unable to mark any progressive efforts whatsoever; there are also the days when plans pan out accordingly. The key attribute is to persevere.

Perseverance, even amidst difficulties is what marks us as real champions. It marks the difference between success and failure. As a result, it befits us to accept and nurture this principle.

Here are some ways to build your persistence:

• Be clear on your objectives and set SMART goals

Take a step back and map out your objectives. Understand the ‘why’ of your actions, and then set smart, attainable short- or long-term goals that will help you meet your objectives.

Setting concise goals significantly increases your chances of meeting set objectives. Then throw in a bit of perseverance to continually stay motivated amidst the trials, and you will come out successful.

• Take a step

You can’t succeed if you’ve never tried.

Some major forces hindering success are fear and procrastination. We fear the unknown and fail to carry on with what we’ve started. Success is sequential, it is not simultaneous — those who continue to persevere will attract success.

• Re-evaluate

When plans go south, review the work done, and revise a better way to execute.

In many cases, you may need to engage in more research to widen your scope of knowledge and gain more insights.

• Appreciate small wins

We must learn to appreciate the small wins! These are the little things that culminate in our growth. It is imperative to never miss them. I made an article suggestion here about celebrating small wins.

I hope we all succeed in all our dealings and we learn to imbibe the principle of perseverance.