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Building Personal Persistence

Persistence can be a leader’s most invaluable asset

It happens to us all, everything is all set, our plans are laid out, and we set out on a new project. Then, something comes out of the blue, blindsides us, and for a reason that is entirely out of our control, we fall short of our goals.
This situation is where our persistence comes into play. There are several steps for us to take to make sure that we can effectively move onwards from such a shortfall.

We have to remember that our accomplishments do not define us. We are defined by the challenges we overcame to get there.

First, we have to remember that everything is relative, especially when we fall short of our own (or other’s) expectations. Right away, we are our own worst enemies, and once we start doing down that downward spiral of self-defeat, it continually becomes harder to get out of it. Keeping things in perspective allows us to see our missteps as just that, missteps. Everyone makes mistakes, and this one happens to be one of ours.

Second, we take ownership. Passing the buck, or playing the blame game gets us nowhere but hurt feelings. Moreover, misery loves company, but miserable people rarely get things done. By taking ownership, we retain control over the situation and give ourselves the change to make things right. Ownership is a powerful force. By reining in it, we help ourselves to ensure that the effects of our mistakes go no further than they have to and that we can immediately begin working on a solution.

Lastly, we have to get back to work. Proactively finding a solution helps us do two things: solve the problems we’ve created, and learn how not to make a mistake again. Sweeping things under the carpet, and trying to move on as nothing happened only allows for the error to happen again, often with more severe consequences. Proactively finding a solution by getting to the root cause of the problem helps us analyze how it happened and creates an iterative solution that helps to make sure that the same mistake is not made twice.

We all make mistakes, it is a natural part of being human. In making mistakes, we often become our own worst enemy, either by trying to ignore them or passing the blame onto someone else. In doing this, the attitude we display matter most. We have to keep our heads up and not allow our missteps to back us up more than they have to. We have to remember that this project is our responsibility, and we will see it through to success. Our determination, perseverance, and positivity help this like nothing else. No-one likes a complainer; no-one wants to hear what a problem is because it forces them to think that it is becoming their responsibly to fix. By keeping a proactive, solutions-orientated, mindset, we can ask for advice and assistance, without coming across as trying to rope someone into a lost cause. It comes down to HOW we face our challenges. When we adopt the right mindset, we’re good to go. Failing to do so is a chief cause of further failures.

We all want to be successful after all our successes give us a much higher feeling of satisfaction than the frustration of coming up short. We have to remember that our accomplishments do not define us. We are defined by the challenges we overcame to get there.

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