Perseverance is a choice to not fail.
The Big Idea
The simplest of all Success Formulas is Begin it and never give up. Within this simplicity lies the entire complexity of human existence. We tend to behave in an opposite manner. We rarely begin and often give up.
Spotlight
I created a framework for perseverance to help you understand the science behind it and increase your probabilities for succeeding.
The Give-Up-Zone comprises of two stages or rather two reasons why we give up at all.
Inability to escape the past
Inability to invent the future
Whatever it is you may be striving to accomplish, starting out a new initiative or creating some change, we fail to begin because of an inability to escape the past. This comprises of three reasons:
Thinking Small. Thinking small is the belief limitation where we fail to see a larger outcome for ourselves. It is not that you don't believe. It is more that you lack a 100% conviction. The 100% conviction is true belief.
Making Excuses: This leads us to find excuses and escapes in reasons and blame. Now is not a good time, or I can'd do it because.... The excuse zone is a comfort zone that people find themselves locked up in.
Pleasing People: This the 'looking good' zone. Conforming to popular beliefs around us and settling into a pattern of other peoples' expectations, again at times lead us to not begin. "Oh no don't take that much risk" a loved one may say and we may conform.
Some of us are able to overcome the inertia and may begin on a journey. But then we hit something called a momentum collapse. All 'giving up' happens here.
Realisation of Input Efficiency: We discover that our inputs are not good enough for the output we hoped for. Mostly we'll realise that our goal needs a far greater input. This is true whether you begin to exercise or start a business.
Experience of Output Deficiency: We usually begin with expecting big results tomorrow morning and when we actually get on the journey we'll realise that the output is far away. The current situation is deficient.
Input efficiency or Output deficiency leads most of us to give up. It is the collapse of momentum.
The input efficiency takes us back to the reasons of the past - thinking small of ourselves, making excuses, or finding refuge in other people's opinions.
The output deficiency is the inability to invent the future and this is where the possibility resides.
Action
Take a look at the framework again. The movement from inability to invent the future to accomplishment has a simple formula.
Knowledge Resources Effort = Results
Four Components Of Inventing Future: Success in any endeavour from looking for a new job to entrepreneurship needs three requisites.
Do I have enough Knowledge: Most often post the 'begin stage' you will realise that you need more. Instead of going deep in and cracking it, it becomes easier to move on.
Do I have the Resources: What you may have been missing post the beginning are some resources - financial, human, emotional, physical. It again means reaching out to other people to crack this problem. Our egos tend to be way above that though.
Effort: We will reach this stage where we'll realise that accomplishing this goal will take a lot more effort than we anticipated. Effort to actually acquire the knowledge and resources. We expected to be successful from the word go but life hits us. Now is the real deal.
And again it easier to be mediocre than be awesome!
Two Qualities in people who persevere are Ownership and Accountability.
Ownership Means Being 100 % Responsible for All Failure: Yes it may not be your fault and the world may have conspired to do you harm, but still you have no control power over changing others. But you have 100 % control over you. So suck it up, take 100% responsibility and make it happen. Any failure can only be overcome by accepting it and doing the needful. Passing the blame = Inaction = The end.
And This Needs Humility: Not blaming, complaining, and rather accepting 100% responsibility needs a humble mind that is ok to admit to oneself that "I Don't Know" b ut am willing to learn and begin again. It is the mind that knows 'it's not my fault, and it's their fault' that finds solace in ego and is unable to suck it up. This mind gives it up.
Final Tip
Failure or Success are outcomes not determined by intelligence at the beginning but by intelligence acquired through persevering. No one has it figured out at the onset. Yet some figure it out in the end.
To your brilliant endings,
Chetan
Download The Framework Files
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