The Value of Persistence

‘PERSISTENCE’ is a virtue that many successful entrepreneurs have. Actually, it’s a virtue that all successful people have. Whether it’s business, sports, music, acting, or any other area of expertise, there are few people who got there EASILY.

Someone said (I’ve tried to find who, but even Google can’t help me!) ‘success is the culmination of hundreds, even thousands of set backs and getting up, dusting yourself off and continuing again’. I often use the following quote from McDonald’s supremo, the late Ray Kroc... 

“I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.” 

I’m guessing Ray had a good deal of persistence. In fact, did you know, he was 54 when he stumbled across the McDonald brothers’ hamburger joint... as a milk shake machine salesman!

Most people would think at 54 it’s too late to make it— really make it. The thought no doubt never crossed Ray’s mind. He died having created one of the most successful businesses of our time and he was a very rich man. 

If you read any biographies of successful people, you see the common thread of achievement prevailing against a back drop of adversity (not necessarily financial adversity).

The key is, they never gave up.

After every set-back... every challenge... every failure... they picked themselves up and went again... and again... and again. 

Often people give in when success was literally waiting around the corner... if only they’d persisted.

In many respects having the right mind-set is key. If you see failure as damaging, then every time you do fail (and we all do) then this will automatically put you on the back foot and create negative feelings. 

The great man, Nelson Mandela got it right. He said, “I never lose. I win or I learn.” That’s the perfect positive mind-set to have. That way, even with a set-back you learn and prosper.

So, if you’re having some set-backs, just remember as long as you keep going you can turn things around. Never easy, but an essential virtue. Always has been. Always will be.