The Power of Persistence

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What do Steve Jobs, Colonel Sanders, Jack Canfield, Ray Croc, Howard Schultz, and Thomas Edison have in common? They made a choice to adopt one powerful character trait into their lives. They were all persistent. Not giving up until they finally achieved what they were after.

Persistence is the ability to keep going despite the amount of rejection you receive. It's seeing your goal and ensuring that nothing will stop you from achieving it. Persistence is a choice. Take Jack Canfield, who I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with on The Story Box Podcast. He was rejected by over 130 different publishers when he pitched Chicken Soup for the Soul. It reminded me of my story of trying to get my first book, The Path of an Eagle, published.

I was rejected by over 70 publishers [those were just the ones that responded] and over 50 literary agents. Each agent or publisher I spoke with said something negative about why they wouldn't publish my book. One told me they didn't know where this book would sit on the shelves, so they couldn't publish it. Another one told me to come back when I had over one hundred thousand followers on social media. 

 "Be Persistent To Remain Consistent At The Things You Want"

Consistency is the flow-on effect of when you are persistent. You can't be consistent at anything unless you are first persistent. I knew that my book was going to be published eventually. It was more a matter of when not if. I just needed to continue working hard. It took months of continual reaching out to various publishers. Eventually, I had one say yes. That one, yes, was all I needed. 

If I had given up when I got the first, second, or even third no, I wouldn't have a published book. If I had given up when countless people told me when I started my podcast, it wouldn't go anywhere, no one wanted to hear me talk, or I should stay in my lane. The Story Box Podcast wouldn't have achieved what it has. If I didn't persist, I never would have spoken with Matthew McConaughey, Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, or the countless others I've had the pleasure of speaking with. 

Imagine two people digging for a diamond. One person gives up halfway. And the diamond was just a few more feet away. If he had kept digging, he would have found the diamond, changing his life forever. At the same time, the other man keeps on digging until he reaches the diamond. It took effort, time, and hard work, but he eventually succeeded. Many people simply give up when they hear "no." Or worse, don't even take the step forward because they overthink the situation and the work required to achieve the goal.

When you adopt the mindset of persistence in your life and make it a character trait, it doesn't matter what comes your way- you won't ever give up. And you will achieve great things. Don't just take my word for it, look at the countless men and women in history who didn't give up and achieved great things. 

Where to Begin? 

1. Choice equals action. It all comes down to a choice-choose to be persistent. No one else can make that choice for you. If you want to achieve something in your life, you need to choose to take the first step. Be creative and do some research. When no literary agents would take me or believe in the book, I become my own agent, wrote my proposal, and sent out my own pitches. That was my choice. I created the action from my choice. Get started, and always remember that you can adjust along the way. 
   
   
2. Lean Into Rejection. Rejection will happen-running from rejection won't serve you. It will cause you to feel stuck and move further away from the level of persistence you need for a successful life. When you lean into rejection, it builds that resilience muscle which in turn builds up that initial choice you made to be persistent and not give up. You learn how to appreciate the fact that rejection is there to serve your growth instead of trying to tare you down. 
   
   
3. Take Time. Rome wasn't built in a day. So don't feel bad or get impatient when things take time. You never know, it may lead to a much better outcome. Be kind to yourself along the journey—no reason to beat yourself up. A persistent journey takes time. But as long as you don't give up, you will reach your goal. 

If you want to be a better leader and soar high in your life - understanding the power of persistence will help you do just that and so much more. Don't give up, my friends. You got this. 

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About the Author

Jay Fantom

Jay Fantom is a persistent, passionate entrepreneur, award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and author. He is the founder and host of The Story Box, a Top 4 Podcast in 2021. Jay and The Story Box have been featured in FORBES Magazine, Business Insider, Yahoo! The Morning Show Canada, The Today Show, New York Weekly, The Los Angeles Wire, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Market Watch, among many others.

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