Tenacity- The Power of Persistence

A certain inner attitude with which we live our life – A firm resolution not to give up, no matter what challenges come, no matter what setbacks, no matter what disappointments or discouragements come. Tenacity is a resolution, an attitude that I will not leave my pursuit until and unless I get complete success in it, I shall continue with the practice- having taken up something wise, something good, never to abandon it, never to leave it, to be determined to come out victorious.

You can call this trait whatever you like -- persistence, perseverance, tenacity, determination, doggedness, tenaciousness, strength, or purpose -- but regardless of what you call it; it is a common trait in every successful person. Tenacity is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

One has to be very clear here that we should develop the quality of being tenacious and not obstinate. Although both carry the power of persistence but there is a clear line of demarcation. The difference is of the intention and purpose of achieving a particular goal. Is it for your own selfish interests or for the benefit of the mankind as a whole? Obstinacy is a negative quality while tenacity is a positive quality. By keeping your intentions right and your attitude tenacious, you can achieve the impossible.

Never give up- that is the secret of success and attainment. You may fail, that does not matter- if you are persistent in your practice you will attain success. A seemingly impossible thing becomes possible in the face of sheer persistent practice, regular, unfailing, unbroken practice/efforts. It breaks down all obstacles in the way- it overcomes all hurdles and reaches the goal. This type of nature and winner should seek to develop within himself, improving one’s own self with every failure. In this lies the guarantee of your success.

Failure + Tenacity = Success

The race is not won by the swift or the strong but those who can endure till the end. Have you ever watched a marathon runner in the performance of their pinnacle art? They pace themselves watching like a hawk until the timing is right for their approach and ascension to greatness.

Let your passion, determination, and grit weather the storm, and when the hard times dissipate, the glory of a tremendous winning season will mark a new chorus of incredible changes to propel you where you need to be. Interestingly enough, facing the challenges of our hard times is a more character building exercise than anything else.

An observation about the motivational characteristics of organizational leaders is that they are tenacious. Resilience is a part of tenacity because a tenacious person will bounce back from a setback through continuous effort. Our success depends upon our ability to overcome rejection and keep trying. There is a clear link between leadership effectiveness and tenacity, a strongly developed sense of purpose and a willful determination to achieve what you want. Between our intent and its accomplishment, lies the need for persistence. The persistence to give it our best effort, again and again, not allowing ourselves to slow down or get discouraged. You need the courage to do what you have to do; to make the sacrifices that might be needed, and to keep going even when you stumble along the way.

To be successful one has to ‘plan persistent action’ over a ‘period of time’. You need to clearly create a ‘vision’; a picture of exactly what you want the end result to be. You should use all five senses to create this vision. See it, smell it, feel it, taste it and hear it.

The human spirit is incredible. It is stronger than we ever suspected. It gives us drive, passion, and the power to achieve our dreams. We live most of our lives unaware of just how powerful we are. If you look around, you will find hundreds and thousands of stories of people who overcame horrific circumstances. No matter how adverse the situation was they pushed through to the other side. In the process they changed. They allowed their commitment to the goal to change who they were. In many instances they surprised themselves, doing things that they never dreamed themselves capable of.

I truly believe that we must use the power of persistence everyday and it will not only enrich our lives, but it will propel us to success.