Over the last couple weeks, I talked about persistence, and last week specifically, I talked about some of the key traits and symptoms that show lack of persistence. However, today, I’m going to share four areas on how to develop persistence. Now, I’ll tell you, I’ve read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill over and over again, and this year starting February 28th will be the seventh annual deep dive mastermind book study on this book, on the 13 principles there within. Last year, when I went over this area of how to develop persistence, bam, it hit me.
Now remember, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. You can read something and hear something over and over and over and over again, but at some point, it will hit you and make an impact and will change your life. So I’m going to share four key areas of how to develop persistence.Number one: A definite purpose backed by a big burning desire for its fulfillment. Now, in some of the areas of leadership, we had to get really clear on where we’re going and we had to answer the question what is our purpose? Once you get clear on where you’re going, what your purpose is, and then have a burning desire in your belly to do whatever it takes to fulfill that purpose, that’s the first step of developing persistence. Because if you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to develop persistence and get to wherever you’re going? Because you don’t even know. Get clear on why you’re here, what you’re doing and what impact you’re going to make and where you’re going with your organization, and then you get to develop persistence because once you get your eye on the prize, nothing gets in your way.
Number two: A definite plan expressed in continuous action. Not every other day action, not once a week action. Not write down my New Year’s resolutions and never look at them till next year action. No. Get a plan. Follow through with continuous action. Myself and my clients, we create our long-term plan, our 10 year, our five year, our three year, our one year, our 90-day plan. Our clients get together all in one room for an entire day to create a 90-day plan, so they have action steps to fulfill on their goals and strategies and priorities for the quarter. Each and every week, certain action steps, continuous action. All they have to do is take the action they said they were going to take to get their results. It’s continuous action, no matter what adversities, no matter what pops up and gets in your way, continuous action on your plan to reach your purpose and your goals.
Number three: A mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences. I talked about the first video about this book, Thoughts or Things: What You Think About Most. Protect your mind against all discouraging and negative influences. When you get clear on your purpose and you have a plan on what you need to accomplish to get that goal and that priority, everything that does not serve that, it doesn’t concern you. The only thing that concerns you is what serves your purpose and your plan. Everything else, get rid of it. If you’re listening to the news on some stuff that’s going on, on the other side of the world that doesn’t serve you and your purpose, drop it. I have clients that say, “Coach, I don’t listen to the news anymore. It’s changed my life.” Something to think about. If it doesn’t serve you, it doesn’t matter.Now, some of you may be thinking, “Yeah, but coach, I need to know what’s going on with the world.” I get it. I agree. Trust me, if it’s important enough for you to know, somebody will share it with you. There’s somebody else out there that doesn’t have a plan and purpose and vision that’s watching the news that will fill you in on exactly what’s going on. So if it doesn’t serve you, you don’t need it.
And number four, how to develop persistence. A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through with both plan and purpose. So once you get clear on your plan and your purpose, you get somebody to make sure you do what you say you are going to do. You get a guide, you get a mentor, you get a coach. I have plans, I have goals. I share them with my coach. And maybe things go wrong, maybe things slow down, maybe I get complacent. Who knows? But my coach will always remind me of my plan and purpose and ask me, “Is this still important to you, Michael?” When you have a plan, when you have a purpose and you’re consistently taking the action, but some things pop up, a little adversity, you get a little complacent, you begin to doubt yourself and your coach asks you, “Is this still important to you?” It’s just a simple reminder to get you to step up, and a guide and a mentor and a coach will get more out of you than you get out of yourself alone.So there’s your four areas. I’ll repeat them again. A definite purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment; a definite plan expressed in continuous action; a mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences; and a friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through on both plans and purpose. There’s your guide, how to develop persistence.
Once a year, I do a deep dive book study mastermind on this. If you really want to learn and master everything in this book to become extraordinarily successful, wealthy, abundant, satisfied, calm, join me starting February 28th. Click the button below for information and registration. Next week, we’ll discuss if only that if you don’t fix, it’ll take you down.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud Action Coach Franchise partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. Businesscoachmichaeldill.com