Discipline: The Path of Persistence
Hitting wall with hammer
If I observe the trajectory of my life so far and note the things I have accomplished, there are many patterns and characteristics that have aided my growth. One in particular is my persistence. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, said,
“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.”
Many of us probably can think of an example that pertains to this quote. A friend who is brilliant, but didn’t accomplish the goals set out before him. An athlete or musician who had the potential to go professional, but choose another path. People who have so much promise, but for whatever reason don’t achieve their full potential. It seems one element of stymied potential is a lack of persistence.
The development of persistence is not always innate. Sometimes we have to teach ourselves how to persist through self-discipline, establishing goals, and hitting the wall over and over again. But that is part of the definition of persistence, to continue the “course of action in spite of difficulty.”
A personal example was my desire to meditate. Some time during my 20’s, I went to my first yoga class and we did a meditation at the end. I was entranced. It was a guided meditation and I allowed myself to be in that moment. For the next 15 or so years, I would attempt to meditate. I took classes. I read books. I bought cushions and Tibetan singing bowls. And time after time, my busy, monkey mind would get in the way. I found it tremendously difficult to sit quietly and listen to my breath or be in the moment, but I also knew instinctually that meditation was something I needed to have in my life. So I persisted. With mentors and further self-discovery, I established a meditation practice. I now meditate every morning. I wouldn’t want to start my day without it.
The foundational blocks of persistence are establishing valued goals and self-discipline. What I mean by “valued goals” is owning how much priority you place on the goal. For example, meditation for me was a goal that I valued enough to fight through the difficulties. Learning how to knit, didn’t hold the same purpose or value for me, so it was something I tried and quickly gave up when I hit a literal snag. It is critical to evaluate your commitment to your goal because you will, more than likely, hit resistance. Self-discipline is your super ego at work. It is the conjuring up of your morals, ethics, and internal parent to urge you toward forward movement. Self-discipline is creating measurements of progress and telling yourself when you have set backs that tomorrow is a new day.
Persistence is inherently difficult, but so are most goals worth accomplishing. And as Coolidge indicated, when you are persistence, you are powerful and unlimited.