The Secret to Building Your Persistence Muscle

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

--Calvin Coolidge

Persistence might as well be a superpower.

Sure it won’t make you faster than a speeding bullet, or give you the ability to leap over buildings in a single bound...but it just might be the key to help you reach levels you never thought possible.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on persistence the past few days.

 I wrote a book, and it launches this Tuesday. I started this book on March 3, 2018...that was 624 days ago. 

Now more than one person I’ve talked too confessed to me that they’ve always wanted to write a book. Then they get this hopeful look in their eyes and with all seriousness ask me what the secret is to writing a book.

The secret?

There’s no secret, just work.

And it’s the same if you own a business, or are in sales. 

There’s no secret formula.

There’s no magic script.

There’s no hack.

There’s no shortcut.

There’s no morning routine that’s going to magically make your dreams come true.

All there is. 

All there ever will be is work.

If you want to write a book? Sit down and write the book.

Want to be better at sales? Make more calls, pitch more prospects. Take more “no’s.”

Easy to say, hard to do.  

Why?

Because it’s hard. Sales is hard. Writing is hard. Entrepreneurship is hard. 

Hell, life is hard.

There were times (multiple times) I wanted to quit writing this book (even just a few weeks ago). 

You have to endure.

You have to press-on.

You have to stop caring about what others think.

You have to stop thinking and start doing.

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”

-Suzy Kassem

I see too many potential authors, entrepreneurs and what could be successful salespeople think their way out of executing and getting the results they want.

They’re too concerned with what others will think of them. What the prospect will think of them. What their family and friends might think of them. 

So they wait until conditions are optimal, and the stop and go lights of life all turn green…

Sadly, it never happens.

The book goes unwritten, the sales goes unsold, and the business goes ungrown.

It’s easy to say, be persistent, but it’s a lot harder to execute. And that’s exactly why you have to be persistent...because so many aren’t. It’s easier now than ever. All it takes is a little bit of action.

Being persistent is more than just a catchphrase. It’s a mindset. It’s an unshakeable will that will help you push through the frozen tundra of despair, rejection, and loneliness.

Persist. Don’t give in, and don’t give up.