A Navy SEAL's
5-Point Perspective On Persistence
We rarely rise to the
occasion when placed under extreme pressure. We sink to the level of our
preparedness and persistence.
When I was in a fraternity
at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, we used to recite one of my
favorite quotes, which still guides my thinking and behavior to this day.
"Nothing in this world can take the place of
persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men
with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent." --Calvin Coolidge
After graduating and
deciding to make the transition from corporate America to the military, I knew
I would need to internally evangelize this concept more than ever.
As one can imagine,
nothing in my life tested me more than SEAL training. Until of course that
training was tested on the battlefield.
And then again when
deciding to become an entrepreneur.
In fact, my level of
persistence is tested every day as a business owner, husband, and father.
In my opinion, persistence
is not an innate talent but rather a learned competency that has to be worked
on and can be developed over time to achieve maximum performance.
Here is a five-point
perspective on persistence that every entrepreneur should embrace:
Talent.
As Calvin Coolidge says in
the quote above, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
As most of us know, there
are no secrets to being successful. It is the result of preparation, hard work,
persistence, and learning from mistakes and failure.
In SEAL training, it's not
uncommon for elite athletes to be some of the first to quit.
Talent and skill alone are
not enough to be successful.
Intelligence.
Many studies show that
those with the highest IQ's aren't necessarily the most "successful."
Success has many
definitions, but it's still interesting data.
Similar to talent and
skill, intelligence only gets you so far.
It's how we apply that
intelligence that counts.
But a winning combination
is when a person has both intelligence (in many forms) combined with the drive
to adapt despite any obstacles that come his or her way.
Education.
There is a saying that
"C students rule the world."
I don't know how much
truth there is to that, but it emphasizes the point that a degree, or three
degrees, doesn't guarantee anything.
I have a undergraduate
degree in finance, a master's in real estate finance, and studied English and
history at Oxford University in England.
So what?
I wouldn't necessarily
attribute my current success to that, outside of maybe needing to be persistent
in my studies because of the drive to succeed.
Oh, and I met my business
partner in grad school.
We own a marketing agency,
not a real estate development company.
At least it was good for
networking!
Discipline.
Setting and achieving
lofty goals requires discipline.
Discipline to work hard.
Discipline to keep moving
forward.
Discipline to not be
distracted by things that are out of your control.
This is why I believe
health and fitness are imperative for success.
Getting and staying fit
requires discipline.
You have to have the
ability to prioritize fitness as well as push yourself outside of your comfort
zone as much as possible.
Health and fitness are
perfect for practicing the art of discipline and will impact other areas of
your life.
Determination.
My favorite quote from the
Navy SEAL Creed says, "I will not quit. I persevere and thrive in
adversity. If knocked down, I will get back up. Every time. I am never out of
the fight."
That mentality is so
ingrained in your soul as a SEAL that I literally have a physical and chemical
reaction when I think of that quote.
As an entrepreneur and
business owner, I face obstacles every day, because I am constantly entering
uncharted waters as we move the company forward.
Learning new things each
day is great, but determination is the fuel that translates that knowledge into
actionable strategies.
Failure and obstacles are
inevitable aspects of our personal and professional lives.
Without being persistent
and determined, we will get stuck along the way.
Never be out of the fight.
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