One of the challenges of living in today’s society is the difficulty of being persistent in achieving long term goals. So much of how we process information and even how we set goals is now designed to be immediate or very short term.
Companies and businesses less than a decade ago used to set long term strategic plans or 3, 5 or 10 years in the future, but with the constantly changing markets and marketing strategies of today, these are now reduced to one or two years at the most.
While this is true for companies, it is not the same with personal goals. As an individual, a leader, and a human, it is not only possible but essential to recognize that our goals are not going to be achieved in one, two or three years. In many cases, our goals will be ongoing, with the ability to improve, learn and develop to be the best person we can be throughout our lives.
The Benefits of Tenacity
The ability to be persistent or tenacious in sticking to our goals and achieving success is a skill to develop. It is, at its center, the ability to stay internally motivated and focused on the big picture and the desired outcome.
With that being said, even the most internally motivated person can have difficulties in staying focused. Employing the following strategies has the ability to not only help you in following through on working on goals over time but to also build in measurable, achievable, short-term goals that boost our persistence levels and provide that necessary internal and external motivation.
- Build a roadmap – create a written timeline or map of your goals. Set short term milestones on your journey, and be specific as to the achievements at these milestones and the dates you hold yourself to for their completion.
- Set aside time – it is essential to prioritize your time. If your goals are always on the back burner and are the stuff you will get to when you have a spare minute, they will always remain goals, never reaching achievement status. By setting aside time on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule, you have the time you need to meet milestones and see those short and long term goals become accomplishments.
- Learn from others – choose people you see as inspirational in your journey and make their story a role model for your goals. Read books, follow them on social media, read blogs, and surround yourself with people who are also persistent, motivated and long-term thinkers.
While persistence may not be the most talked about skill today, it is essential for success. By building on the framework for success in achieving your goals, you also develop the skills needed to be relentless in achieving your goals.