Persistence

"Without PERSISTENCE, you will be defeated, even before you start. With PERSISTENCE you will win."

There is really no more important quality than persistence in achieving success. No matter what the undertaking, big or small, there will be obstacles and setbacks. And the bigger the undertaking, the bigger the setbacks.

I hate setbacks, and used to think, that proper planning and preparation could ensure that you could avoid setbacks. I was wrong. Setbacks and adversity are unavoidable. Its therefore, not a question of whether setbacks will happen, but how will you deal with them?

It is the easy option to give up, but as in much of life, the easy option in the short term, is the hard option in the long term.

So how do you build up persistence?

The greater the desire to achieve a goal, the easier it is to be persistent. And the clearer you are about your goal, the easier it is to keep going. Indecision and vague thinking are like poison to persistence.
I also think, preparing for adversity can improve persistence. Its much easier to give up, if an adversity occurs out of the blue. But if you are prepared for adversity, then it is much easier to roll with it.

The other (annoying) thing about persistence, is when you most need it, is when you are usually not well equipped to handle it. Often the adversity strikes when the initial passion has worn off, and now its down to hard slog. When you are running on discipline alone, then any major setback can really crush persistence. In these cases, its crucial to have others (mastermind) who can help you to stay persistent. Persistence is easier with a little help from your friends