"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." --Calvin Coolidge
As one can imagine, nothing in my life tested me more than SEAL
training. Until of course that training was tested on the battlefield. And then
again when deciding to become an entrepreneur. In fact, my level of persistence
is tested every day as a business owner, husband, and father. In my opinion,
persistence is not an innate talent but rather a learned competency that has to
be worked on and can be developed over time to achieve maximum performance.
Here is a five-point perspective on persistence that every entrepreneur should
embrace:
Talent. As Calvin
Coolidge says in the quote above, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men
with talent. I often talk about the difference between skill and success. As
most of us know, there are no secrets to being successful. It is the result of
preparation, hard work, persistence, and learning from mistakes and failure. In
SEAL training, it's not uncommon for elite athletes to be some of the first to
quit. Talent and skill alone are not enough to be successful.
Intelligence. Many
studies show that those with the highest IQ's aren't necessarily the most
"successful." Success has many definitions, but its still interesting
data. Similar to talent and skill, intelligence only gets you so far. It's how
we apply that intelligence that counts. But a winning combination is when a
person has both intelligence (in many forms) combined with the drive to adapt
despite any obstacles that come his or her way.
Education. There is
a saying that "C students rule the world." I don't know how much
truth there is to that, but it emphasizes the point that a degree, or three
degrees, doesn't guarantee anything. I have a undergraduate degree in finance,
a master's in real estate finance, and studied English and history at Oxford
University in England. So what? I wouldn't necessarily attribute my current
success to that, outside of maybe needing to be persistent in my studies
because of the drive to succeed. Oh, and I met my business partner in grad
school. We own a marketing agency, not a real estate development company. At
least it was good for networking!
Discipline. Setting
and achieving lofty goals requires discipline. Discipline to work hard.
Discipline to keep moving forward. Discipline to not be distracted by things
that are out of your control. This is why I believe health and fitness are
imperative for success. Getting and
staying fit requires discipline. You have to have the ability to prioritize
fitness as well as push yourself outside of your comfort zone as much as
possible. Health and fitness are perfect for practicing the art of discipline
and will impact other areas of your life.
Determination. My
favorite quote from the Navy SEAL Creed says, "I will not quit. I
persevere and thrive in adversity. If knocked down, I will get back up. Every
time. I am never out of the fight." That mentality is so ingrained in your
soul as a SEAL that I literally have a physical and chemical reaction when I
think of that quote. As an entrepreneur and business owner, I face obstacles
every day, because I am constantly entering uncharted waters as we move the
company forward. Learning new things each day is great, but determination is
the fuel that translates that knowledge into actionable strategies.
Failure and obstacles are inevitable aspects of our personal and
professional lives. Without being persistent and determined, we will get stuck
along the way. Never be out of the fight.
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