Perseverance Maketh Man

Advertisements in the media have an amazing ability to drive home the message that almost anything you want in life can be had within minutes, with little effort and more money. And people believe too easily what they see or hear in these advertisements.

People forget what it means to actually work hard for something. They don't plan ahead. They don't set goals and they're never prepared for setbacks. The minute they encounter difficulties or failures, they simply give up.

There's a reason why you need to persevere in life. From a very young age, you learn the meaning of disappointment. You also discover that not everything you do in life is successful and you can't always be first. You are bombarded with negative emotions and a lack of self-confidence because society is so competitive, and you can't always keep up.

Perseverance is essential. It helps you to take on challenges. It helps you to keep focussed to finish projects that you have started. It gives you an inner strength to cope with the hardships and setbacks that you suffer during life. Perseverance gets you back on your feet after a fall. You also learn to overcome negative emotions like discouragement and depression.

Here are three steps to help you with perseverance:

1. Set worthy, achievable goals.
From time to time, ask yourself where you are heading in life. It is important to have a clear picture in mind of what you want to accomplish and why.

2. Analyze your goals and setbacks.
You need to understand the relationship between cause and effect in life. If you really want something, you have to do all the necessary things to get it. This requires effort. Unfortunately, life isn't always smooth sailing. There will be setbacks, but view negative experiences in a positive light by analyzing each situation. Find out where you went wrong and correct the mistakes. It's so much easier to just walk away, but effort and perseverance builds self-esteem.

3. To persevere requires consistent action.
Good things don't come to those who wait. Work hard for what you want and be consistent, like the tortoise in Aesop's fable. A steady and disciplined approach in life will bring in the rewards. The tortoise did not quit in the race against the hare. He wasn't concerned about the amount of time it would take to cross the finish line. There's no written rule that says you have to break records in everything you do. If it takes you six weeks or four years to achieve your goal, the success still lies in the achievement, not in the length of time. Organised and consistent progress, and motivation are the keys to success.

The definition of success in life then lies in having a dream, preparing for it and exercising perseverance.