The Power of Persistence

Welcome to the second edition of The Fab Folio newsletter, where you gain insights and tools for life and business! In our first edition, we talked about the power of small beginnings and how starting ugly can lead to big success. If you missed it, you can read it here.

In this edition, we will talk about another key ingredient for achieving your goals: Persistence.

Persistence is the ability to keep working towards your vision despite challenges, setbacks, and failures. Persistence is what separates those who give up from those who succeed, and sometimes that difference is exponential! Let's roll...

Why Persistence Matters

Persistence matters because, again, according to scientific laws, efforts made in a focused direction tend to compound over time, and eventually yield exponential results. This is not just a motivational slogan, but a scientific law. According to Newton’s second law of motion:

I know you might be wondering, "What does that even mean?". It means that the more force you apply to something, the faster it will move. And the longer you apply that force, the more distance it will cover.

The same principle applies to your business and life endeavours. The more effort you put into a project, the more progress you will make. And the longer you keep working at it, the more results you will see. Of course, this does not mean that you should work blindly or recklessly. You still need to have a clear vision, a smart strategy, and a flexible mindset because, well, things happen that may try to derail you from your goal. But without persistence, none of these will matter.

Persistent People

History is full of examples of people who achieved great things by being persistent. Here are just a few:

• Thomas Edison: The inventor of the light bulb, the phonograph, and many other innovations, famously said that he did not fail 10,000 times, but found 10,000 ways that did not work. He also said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

• Steve Jobs: The co-founder of Apple, revolutionized the fields of personal computing, music, and mobile devices. He was fired from his own company in 1985, but returned in 1997, twelve years later, and led it to become one of the most valuable companies in history.

• Harland Davis Sanders: Better known as Colonel Sanders, was the founder of KFC, one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world. But before he became a successful entrepreneur, he faced many failures and numerous rejections. He started his career as a farmhand, then worked as a railroad worker, a fireman, a lawyer, an insurance salesman, and a gas station operator. He also served in the army during World War I. He began cooking chicken for his customers at his gas station and developed his signature recipe of 11 herbs and spices. He decided to franchise his chicken business but was turned down by 1,009 restaurants before he found his first partner. Imagine that—1,009 restaurants! He also had to deal with personal tragedies, such as the death of his son and his divorce from his wife. He persisted in his vision and passion, and eventually built a global empire of over 20,000 outlets in 123 countries.

These people didn’t let failure stop them or discourage them; rather, they learned from their mistakes and improved their skills. They are just a few of the many examples of people who persisted in their dreams and achieved remarkable success.

Tips for Increasing Your Persistence

Good news! Persistence is not something that you either have or don’t have. It is a skill that you can develop and improve with practice. Here are 7 tips for increasing your persistence:

• Visualize your Goal: Having a clear vision of what you want to achieve will help you stay focused and motivated. Break down your big goals into smaller steps to make them easier to manage, track, and measure.

• Celebrate your Wins: Acknowledge your achievements and reward yourself for your efforts. This will boost your confidence and reinforce your positive habits.

• Learn from Failures: Don’t let setbacks or rejections define you, or deter you from your path. Instead, use them as opportunities to learn and grow. Identify what went wrong and what you can do better next time. Failure is never final.

• Seek Feedback and Support: Don’t isolate yourself or try to do everything on your own. Seek feedback from others who can offer you helpful advice. Surround yourself with people who support and inspire you.

• Keep a Growth Mindset: Believe that you can improve your abilities and skills with learning, effort, and practice. Don’t limit yourself by having fixed or negative beliefs about yourself or your potential. Read more about growth mindsets here.

• Be Flexible and Adaptable: Be open to new ideas and opportunities that may arise along your journey and be willing to change your plans or strategies if needed. Don’t get stuck in one way of doing or thinking about things.

• Be Consistent and Disciplined: As we know, persistence requires commitment and dedication. We need to show up every day and do the work that needs to be done. We need to overcome distractions and perfectionistic tendencies, which lead to procrastination. We need to follow through on our promises and actions.

Final Thoughts

Persistence is one of the most important qualities for achieving success in any field or endeavour. It is not easy or glamorous, but it is rewarding and fulfilling. It is what makes the difference between giving up and going on.

As Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, said:

So…whatever it is that you are working on towards your dreams and goals, PERSIST. That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed this edition of our newsletter and found it useful and inspiring. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you.

Until our next edition, keep growing!

Patricia F. Agha is the author of The Fab Folio Newsletter, thefabfolio.blog and founder of Blu Mobility, a business resource and strategic solutions platform designed to provide small and medium-sized business owners with tools, templates, and curated learning resources to help transform business outcomes.

Book a paid consultation or schedule a call with Patricia through the link below:

http://doodle.com/bp/patriciaagha/meet-with-tricia-blumobility