What do you really want? For many that's an abstract question. Very few will be able to answer it with conviction. But that question is the foundation of success. And what is its essence? Wanting it badly that you'll go through thick and thin, hail and snow, failure after failure, to get to it.
Another word is perseverance. It's perseverance that causes one to take hold of the prize. It's perseverance that steels one to endure the aches and pains, knowing that these are just pearls of wisdom picked up on the road to success.
Someone once said that too many people quit a step from achieving success. This is true for all ventures, whether it's a brick-and-mortar business or Web marketing, a sports competition or daily exercise. A failure, a momentary lapse of concentration, a disappointment, another failure, just about anything can distract us and compel us to give up.
So what builds perseverance? Here are a few tips:
--Set your eyes on the goal. Is this what you really want? Then go for it! Have a passion for it. Without passion, life becomes ho-hum and so will your endeavors. It will be easy to sleep on it and forget about it.
--Know your potentials, both hidden and known. Failures usually bring your potentials to the surface. If you're not willing to learn from your mistakes, you're not willing. Nobody else can be responsible for your success. Your potentials are your greatest resources to attain your ideals.
--Develop a plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but it must be able to take you from one step to the next. Accomplishing one step after another not only sets a direction but builds confidence as well. Somebody once said that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." Planning helps you see more clearly the journey you're taking.
--Be ready to experiment. If one way doesn't work for you, be ready to go another way. Success comes from knowing more than one way to "skin a cat." The scratches become your road map. Many times the road to success is found by taking a detour.
--Have the attitude that success is already with you. Smell it, sense it, grasp it. Too many people waste too much energy believing it impossible when they should have worked at it being possible. Believe in yourself.
Success is there. Persevere. You just may realize it's only a corner away!
Dean F. Mapa is a writer, motivational speaker and success coach. His web site can be found at
Subscribe to his Success Is Yours weekly e-zine by sending a blank e-mail to trendees-subscribe@topica.com