The most common things I hear when I explain the process of my goals, or the mandated process I endured to become a professional boxer. Are remarks and grunts about how long it took, or how long it will take to accomplish them. Met with “sour faces” by the same people that ask for the information because they have similar goals in mind.
Patience and persistence are the keys to achieve almost anything of value on the planet. Napoleon Hill: the world-renown writer of Think and Grow Rich, says- “failure, cannot cope with persistence.” Benjamin Franklin: also stated- “He that can have patients can have what he will.” As a professional athlete, and now a college student pursuing my bachelor’s degree in communication. These attributes are detrimental to my success, so I recognize them as the leading component of my personal currency.
I think the definition of both words clearly characterize success and the completion of our goals. The root word to patience is patient: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity. The Root word to persistence is persistent: continuing to exist despite interference or treatment. Adversity and distractions are sure to come as the sunlight or the nightfall. Our success in almost any endeavor will be deeply rooted in how well we deal with those adversities and distractions. Our goals and our dreams must exist despite time, interference, or treatment.
The main ingredients to patience and persistence start with the ability to focus. Champions enjoy the process of achieving their goals. We hear it these days more than we apply it to our everyday lives- “trust the process.” We should not only trust the process; we should focus on the process of our goals and dreams, not the time, or effort it takes to complete them. Consuming in improvement can only yield positive results, and in turn, will make the time go by a little faster.
Sacrificing, ignoring immediate gratification are also important factors to the equation. Falling to immediate gratification can be detrimental to our goals if we put them off to tend to today’s “wants, and needs.” I feel the gratification we seek comes from the process of our goals, if, we trust it. Equally, I feel we will find gratification in understanding our goals will be accomplished in due time through our patience and persistence toward our goals.