Some years ago I was in business for myself delivering management services to poor-performing local government teams. I began exploring an idea of building a sustainable coaching programme to deliver to local authorities in order to improve their management and service delivery. The more I explored this, the more the idea came together, and the people for such a team showed up. In fact everyone I needed for my team showed up from submitting tenders, to sales, to a team of coaches to deliver the programmes. It all came together very easily without any stress or what seemed like real work.
The first tender went in, we held our breath. It was within an authority I had already worked for so I was really hopeful and positive. But alas, we didn’t secure the contract. I gave up. I listened to the media that the climate was bad for new business, that local authority cuts would preclude such a service as mine as unnecessary and not wanted. As such limited opportunities showed up I folded the business. I gave up.
Eight years later, I now know that had I persisted, had I taken action from my inside and not from the external world, that the outcome could have been different. Success comes from persistence, a quality of which is vital to any personal or business success. There are a lot of stories out there that show that persistence is a key element to success. Look up the story of Howard Schultz, the man who started Starbucks, a phenomenal story. Read the story of JK Rowling, there are so many stories of people finding success through persistence.
I didn’t know or understand persistence when I needed it. I’ve learnt it along the way and through my favourite activity over the past ten years of climbing mountains. Persistence gets you to the summit!!!
I’ve also learnt that persistence comes from within. If you want to learn the art of persistence to get the results you want then click here.