Recall the last time you tried doing something and it didn’t work. How many times did you try before giving up? Ten times? One hundred? Try ten thousand.
Famous American inventor Thomas Edison worked on thousands of prototypes for the lightbulb.[1] Besides being brilliant and creative, Edison proved that success doesn’t come from talent alone. Success comes from persistence and focused patience.
Whether you are a college student, a new parent, or a seasoned professional, you experience setbacks and failure. We all do. To combat this, one needs to practice persistence (work ethic), patience (helpful mindset), and peace (both).
Practicing Persistence: Work Ethic > Talent
In a world of get-rich-quick schemes and “miracle” diets to lose 50 pounds, perseverance can be difficult to live by. However, daily application of perseverance through hard work and discipline will pay off in any situation.
For example, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Forbes magazine estimated that 38% of US college students lost their internships or post-graduate jobs.[2] In other words, about four out of ten students lost their jobs. Another 37% of students had their employment postponed or changed to remote. This means that three-quarters of the US college student population (around twenty million people) experienced some sort of job disruption. For many, this was devastating.
However, research suggests that in order to effectively respond to this (or any) situation, individuals don’t need to have exceptional talent but rather to practice persistence. In a study of 11,258 cadets at West Point Academy, Professor Angela Duckworth found that people with “grit,” or persistence, were somewhat more likely to graduate over people with exceptional intelligence or physical strength.[3] This suggests that you don’t have to be the fastest or smartest to find success; rather, you do need to have a strong work ethic.
A good work ethic makes itself manifest when circumstances are difficult. If successfully landing a dream job or getting six-pack abs were easy, everyone would do it. In order to achieve success, you have to stretch yourself especially when times are hard.
In a five-year study on millionaires, the majority of the millionaires under observation reported that persistence and daily practice were crucial to their success.[4] For the average person, applying this principle might look like going to the gym when others are sleeping or spending Saturdays practicing job interviews. Over time, such commitment and work ethic will distinguish “average joes” from “active” joes.
Key Takeaways
- Work ethic is more important than talent when it comes to being successful
- Persistence requires daily effort, especially when circumstances are difficult
Practicing Patience: Mind over Matter
As you might have guessed, work ethic isn’t the only key to success. The capacity to push oneself is admirable but insufficient by itself. If persistence is the workhorse, patience is the driver.
Countless people figuratively run in circles only to go nowhere. Examples might include the friend who starts a million DIY projects or has a stack of books to read but fails to finish them. These people are capable and hardworking but fail to endure.
Often, people like this are starters, not finishers. In the absence of the focus to finish, people are enslaved by activity. To avoid this, it’s important to gain patience, the mindset of being able to set goals, stick to them, and trust in the process. This can be difficult; part of being human is dealing with distractions and setbacks, which can cause us to lose focus with any goal. Thus, learning to practice trusting and waiting is vital to overcoming distractions.
Thomas Edison is a great example of focus. Had he given up after failing, many of the inventions we have today might not exist. Upon inquiry regarding the many failed lightbulb attempts, he famously stated:
“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work.”[5]
Edison exemplified a growth mindset by taking setbacks as learning experiences instead of failures.[6] Having a growth mindset allows us to succeed even when we don’t immediately see the results we want.
Key Takeaways
- Activity does not mean achievement; focused activity does
- Patience requires one to learn from setbacks
Practicing Peace: A Balancing Act
If separated from each other, persistence and patience are incomplete. Only practicing persistence would look like a farmer who constantly plows their field without ever waiting for crops to grow. They certainly work hard, but they will end up frustrated by the lack of results.
Only practicing patience would look like a farmer who waited for crops without ever planting. They would be waiting forever without success.
In order to find peace in our efforts, we need harmony to exist between our work ethic and our focus. Without this balance, we will be exhausted, frustrated, and unsatisfied.
Intentionality is key to keeping the principles of patience and persistence working in tandem. If you know you favor one principle over the other, set goals and make plans to practice that principle. For example, going to the gym every day can help you strengthen your persistence. Do whatever you need to in order to build that principle within yourself.
Applying both principles won’t guarantee the results you want. However, with patience you will learn more over time, and you will come to know that you are giving your all. Remember that the only thing you can control in life is how you act. Do your best and be flexible with the results.
Key Takeaways
- Persistence without focus = running in circles
- Patience without effort = endless waiting
- Balancing both leads to peace of mind
Practicing Practice: A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Just like Edison and the time it took to prototype the lightbulb, the results in your life will take time. Whether you want an improved relationship with your spouse, an internship at company X, or a paid-off mortgage, you will need time and practice to succeed.
No “perfect time” to practice exists. Don’t wait forever—start now. Begin by doing something small every day to achieve your goals. Your capabilities will grow with time, and you will see your practice pay off.
In the previously mentioned study on millionaires, about half of the 233 millionaires in the sample “didn’t grow up rich, have high salaries, graduate from elite universities, inherit money, or possess unique skills—they saved diligently, invested prudently, and waited.”[7] These millionaires prove that consistent, incremental effort over time will yield results.
Your consistent efforts will help you achieve your goals. Start by practicing persistence, patience, and peace today.
[1] Nathan Furr, “How Failure Taught Edison to Repeatedly Innovate,” Forbes, August 9, 2011, https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanfurr/2011/06/09/how-failure-taught-edison-to-repeatedly-innovate/?sh=58b4ca65e9ee.
[2] Jack Brewster, “Poll: 38% Of College Students Lost Work Because Of Coronavirus,” Forbes, Accessed February 13, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/04/15/poll-38-of-college-students-lost-work-because-of-coronavirus/?sh=2fede6575ec9.
[3] Susan Pinker, “New Evidence for the Power of Grit,” The Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-evidence-for-the-power-of-grit-11576770214.
[4] Thomas C. Corley, “11 Ways to Help Your Kids Become Wealthier, According to an Author Who Spent Years Studying Millionaires,” Business Insider India, July 30, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.in/11-ways-to-help-your-kids-become-wealthier-according-to-an-author-who-spent-years-studying-millionaires/articleshow/70451062.cms.
[5] Furr, “How Failure Taught Edison.”
[6] Aaron Hochanadel and Dora Finamore, “Fixed and Growth Mindset in Education and how Grit Helps Students Persist in the Face of Adversity,” Journal of International Education Research 11, no. 1 (2015): 47–50, http://erl.lib.byu.edu/login/?url=https://www-proquest-com.erl.lib.byu.edu/scholarly-journals/fixed-growth-mindset-education-how-grit-helps/docview/1697491004/se-2?accountid=4488.
[7] Tanza Loudenback, “9 Facts That Will Make You Think Differently about Wealth, from a Man Who Interviewed over 200 Millionaires,” Business Insider, September 11, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/facts-about-millionaires-how-they-got-rich.
