'Perseverance' is the continued effort to do something, in spite of obstacles, challenges and disappointments you encounter on the way.
Successful people are persistent people. Jim Carey left the stage to boos when he first did stand up. Stephen King sent writings to publishers for 20 years before being accepted. Michael Jordan was told he wasn’t a good enough player and cut from his high school basket ball team. JK Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ was only accepted after being rejected 12 times. They all kept persevering until they made it.
So how can we build perseverance in the face of rejection and obstacles? Based on my research I have put together a plan. This is the Part 1: Self-belief and the setting of high valued goals. These steps are to build confidence in yourself and motivation for your goal.
1. Believe
It’s time to believe in you. You can do this. Look in the mirror and say it to yourself. Write it on a note and stick it somewhere you can see it everyday. YOU CAN DO THIS. I CAN DO THIS.
Choose to believe in a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset. This is the belief that we can all learn, adapt and better ourselves. Limitations are a starting point and NOT permanent obstacles. Just because you may think you are ‘bad at math’ (for example) doesn’t mean you can’t get better at it.
Growth mindset is a term coined by Dr Carol Dweck and her colleagues. She observed thousands of students attitude to failure. She concluded that those who believed they were able to become smarter put in extra time and effort. This lead them to higher achievement.
Advancements in neuroscience have shown us how malleable our brains are. We can change, build and strengthen our brains neural pathways. Through work and learning we can grow our minds structure and our abilities. Put in the work and you WILL see results.
2. Create a High Valued Goal
Set yourself your goal and write it down at the top of a piece of paper. Now delve into the high value of that goal. Analyse the importance of it. This will help build motivation and determination. How will the journey and the reaching of your goal benefit yourself and those around you? Remember success = bliss. Here is an example:
Put this high valued goal sheet somewhere you can see it daily to strengthen your resolve on your path. By keeping the high valued benefits of your goal in mind, you are much more likely to persevere with it.
To continue your plan to persevere see Part 2: Micro Goals and Daily Systems here