Perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. It is a skill when learnt that can help push us toward our goals and perhaps missions. It determines how we manage various situations we find ourselves in from time to time. My experience of perseverance is like pushing through a brick wall; it’s sometimes not one of the most pleasant feelings or experiences but the end results are generally outstanding and rewarding. Most of us at one time or the other will be faced with a situation(s) which will call for perseverance. This should explain the need to master this skill as one of the many life learning survival skills.
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did ~N.Gingrich
It is sometimes worth looking deeply at the situation(s) weighing both the pros and cons as well as working out what the end result(s) will most likely be before you dip yourself into the need to preserve .This in itself requires skills and practice based on your experience(s).
For some it is time to make changes; you may be fed up of leaping from one thing or situation to the other without getting results. For others you may just want to be more persistent in whatever you are currently doing or trying to accomplish.
TIPS
So here are few tips to try bear in mind
1, Open mind; Having an open mind basically from my own experience means the less need to be quick to judge or jump to conclusions. It’s a person’s ability to hear and understand others even if you totally or do not agree nor accept what they are saying or doing. This is a way of opening yourselves to new experiences where you can tap into new ideas subsequently learn and move forward.
2,Focus and Purpose ; When I had my driving lessons years ago I could remember my instructor saying to me “be aware of things especially passerby around you but keep looking ahead and stay focused”. I thought “its alright for you to sit there and tell me what to do”. My first few lessons were obviously awful but then I had to stay focused because I had defined a purpose. I wanted to drive to make my shopping for groceries easier; so with practise I sailed through and passesd. My point here is keep pushing on; that is look ahead , focus and always have a purpose. It is a good motivating factor. P.S note: I have used driving as an example but this may well be applicable to different life experiences.
3,Motivation; Defining a purpose should drive your motivation. “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful ~ Mark Victor Hansen.
4, Positivity; Surround yourself with positive people those who will support, encourage and inspire you throughout the whole process. “Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant, they is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks”~Johann Gottfried Von Herder.
5, Responsibility; it is easy to avoid perseverance if you blame everyone and everything around you. So explore different ways to take responsibility for your own actions. In my view responsibility equals growth and maturity. “When you blame others, you give up your power to change ~Author Unknown.
6,Patience; we cannot talk about perseverance and not mention the word endurance which indirectly means we sometimes need to be patience . “Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience”~Thinkexist
7, Hopeful ; we need to be hopeful for perseverance to work . I was listening to one of Jim Rohn CD’s where he was saying humans are incredible and are able to do incredible things and I belief that ! Once you set your mind to the task or whatever you hope to accomplish you must achieve it because you can! “Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock”. ~Author Unknown.
8,Be dynamic; know when to review what you are driving towards and make changes along the way as needed.
9, Spirituality; If you do pray or meditate please integrate this into your life /plan. I feel we all can benefit from spiritual support and growth.
People who preserve situations generally feel more confident, happier and are able to talk from experience; this is what money cannot buy.
So when you do have a moment, review areas in your life that may need a bit of perseverance and start making changes. Good Luck 
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Reference : Dictionary.com
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This is spot on, Fatima. I particularly like this quote, “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” and the 9th tip that you provided. It is true that there are times when we face a hard time trying to achieve something, but with a little bit of perseverance (determination + hard work + patience), you can manifest what you can visualize in your mind. And if one can still the mind, the effect can become even more powerful. Thanks for sharing. =)
Thanks Ryhen I love the manner in which you have summarised post in a nutshell … Perseverance = ( determination + hard work + patience)..
Thanks for sharing Fatima. This is a topic that I am VERY passionate about.
To me, its all about making the decision. Wanting to do something, needed to do something, and decided to do something are three different things.
Wanting means it would be nice. Needing means that it is necessary. And deciding means that it is inevitable.When a person makes a decision that nothing will stop them; then nothing will stop them!
Thanks for letting me vent on your blog
Hi Fatima,
excellent blogging by yourself on perseverance. This virtue became the motto of my host’s website program and Action Guide, a long time ago.
It uses the tortoise as a graphic symbol. So the motto is tortoise along to reach your goal to success.
A while ago, I read some article based on scientific surveys and statistics that perseverance is more important than intelligence.
It may have been an article which was published by the New York Times.
Why were there people with a high IQ who did not succeed in life? The answer is that they did not go through with their decisions. They lost patience and stopped putting them into actions. Unfortunately, there is so much hype in the Internet that you can make almost millions of money tomorrow by following false promises. You know that nothing comes for free in this life, unless you hit it off with a lottery. Only experts may strike luck more often. But they also need to stick to a pattern of decisions and work to reach that.
Great post and good tips Fatima!! As you said one of the important thing is to see if it worth it. I have seen so many people confusing perseverance and obsession.
@Ralph Thanks for your valuable comment; wanting, needing and to decide are all relevant. Perseverance obviously sounds very individual of which we will all have different manners in which we approach it .Thanks once a again.
@Gabrielle thanks for your precious contribution. I will love to read the article if you are able to get your hands on it. Intelligence without the ability to persevere may not take an individual a long way. Perseverance holds a lot of attributes/virtues from being patient to persistence. An intelligent person may simply have more attributes to justify and intellectualize everything. (I may be able to back up this statement with Research )
@Angelshair… you are right! I think there could be is a thin line btw Perseverance and Obsession. Thanks for your time.
Great post, Fatima. Perseverance is so important in life, but it’s also important to know when to draw back. One can’t always be striving and moving ahead. Sometimes hitting that brick wall is a sign that one has done enough (at least for the moment), that it’s time to relax and enjoy what one has already accomplished. On the other hand, here’s a great quote that completely supports your main premise here: “When you come across a great difficulty in life, like a huge mountain in Nepal that has no passageway, you know there must be a way through.”
Love the quote NP, … and that Brick feeling is not nice, it’s a shame we can’t go through the brick wall (I laugh here!) but relax, enjoy and reflect like you have mentioned. In view of this ,I have thought and brought in the need of weighing both the pros & cons as well as being dynamic ..
Great post. I think sometimes we stop ourselves from doing something because we’re afraid of succeeding!
I’ve been looking for your watch list for 2010 that you mentioned to me in a private message. Any chance you could send me a link?
Cathy