Perseverance and Persistence

Focus

Perseverance and Persistence

Perseverance by definition is continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition while persistence by definition is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people. The two qualities go hand in hand. Perseverance can only last so long. With persistence, a worthy goal is achievable.

I have a penny framed on my desk. The caption I wrote with it is, "Consistent Persistence Pays". At first glance this may seem simple. The motive for framing the found penny stemmed from the question "Which would you rather have, a million dollars today or a penny doubled every day for thirty days." If you have encountered this question before, you know how much more a penny doubled for thirty days is worth. If not, do the math; the results are intriguing. 

I am an entrepreneur. It is an exciting career path and often a lonely path. I always believed the best motivations are visual and the strongest visual is enhanced with motivational text. The three words that came to me when I framed that penny so many years ago, "Consistent Persistence Pays" are even stronger today and motivate me to achieve my goals. 

Consistent: success cannot be achieved without following a consistent course of action. I write my goals and write the strategies to achieve the goal. Daily, weekly and monthly review of the strategies tells me what is and isn't working. None of this review and analysis is meaningful without consistent effort. 

Persistence: I know that any goal worth achieving is worth working towards. I need to be persistent in my actions. I find it interesting now that I chose persistence and not perseverance. The subconscious mind often comes into play when we need it most. The thing that separates perseverance from persistence boils down to these words; 'continued effort' and 'quality'. In my experience, quality stands the test of time.

Pays: I need a financial reward for my efforts. I need to know that what I am doing has value. I need to know that I am making a difference.

The goal is attainable if I am persistent.
Heights or obstacles beware!

Perseverance and persistence, what are your thoughts? C&C welcome.