March 24, 2015
I’ve been thinking about perseverance. I can attribute the majority of my success throughout the years to perseverance. I guarantee I’ve passed by people who were smarter and more talented by not giving up. My parents have been instrumental in this process because they always made me think that I could do anything I set my mind to achieve, and they demonstrated persistence.
Historically my Mom has been known for her perseverance; however, I have to say that my Dad has taken his challenging lot of Parkinson’s in combination with multiple stroke recoveries with just about as positive an attitude as possible (and my Mom pushing behind him).
I just got back from AZ for a brief visit and to help them with errands etc. My dad’s Parkinson’s is getting worse, and I really hope he can maintain. My dad’s doctor told my mom that she is obviously doing a great job in keeping him active; otherwise he wouldn’t be walking; period. Persistence pays off. The same is true in work life. When you run into an obstacle, do you stop? Or do you find new ways to succeed?
One tip to implement this week:
Perseverance starts with your state of mind. When the first thing goes awry this week (whether BIG or small), take a few extra minutes to think about it before you react. What would you typically do? What is your end objective? How will your reaction positively or negatively affect your end objective? Try not to blame. We all know people who still blame their parents for things that happened 70 years ago or who blame their boss for screwing up their career. It is easy to do so don’t worry about the past. Instead, put that energy to use in a different way. Look for potential solutions. I guarantee that if you shift your mindset, success will follow – if you give it enough time and persistance.