The analysis of over 25,000 life stories of people who failed to achieve professional success shows that a lack of determination is the main reason for their failure.
The analysis of the success stories of multimillionaires revealed, by contrast, that they all had two characteristics in common: they were used to making split-second decisions and, once they made them, they stood firmly behind their decisions.
A certain degree of stubbornness – as long as it does not transform into a deaf obstinacy – can even be advantageous. Henry Ford, in particular, was known to stick to his decisions for a long time. For example, many people advised him to replace his famous – but not terribly beautiful – Model T with a new model. But he held on to the car for a long time and was thus able to continue bringing in sizeable profits with it.
Opinions are cheap: everybody has one and most people want to dispense them. In order to avoid running into the danger of negative influences and straining your own steadfastness, it makes sense to offer others as few opportunities as possible to express their critical opinions.
People who are disheartened in particular should therefore keep their plans and intentions to themselves and not confide in anybody else – except for the members of their hand-picked team or trustworthy outsiders.
If you want persistence and endurance to take root in your habits, here are four simple yet crucial rules:
- You must have a concrete goal and develop a burning desire to achieve it.
- You need a thorough and precise plan to support the implementation of your goals.
- You may not allow yourself to be influenced by negative and disheartening opinions.
- You need an intimate, trusting relationship to a person or a group that provides you with support and assistance.
