One of my favorite quotes is “Winners never quit and quitters never win”.
The principle of Stic-to-itiveness is not a secret to anyone but seems to be difficult to apply.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tells the story in an interview that at the beginning of his career he wanted to quit. He told his coach that he hated being booed by the fans, was mad at the media criticism and wanted to quit.
“Fran,” said Grant “Everybody wants to quit, it’s OK to want to quit, but it is not OK to quit.
Why is it so hard to master this valuable skill, stick-to-itiveness? It is a trait of character, you have to develop it, make it your own. You have to build it in you. It does not come naturally. The recipe is simple and very effective. Here it is. Build stick-to-itiveness incrementally.
If you have stuck to anything in your life, remind yourself and believe you can do it in other area of your life. Maybe you have been good in sport or following a diet or have succeeded in College.
Devoid of any talent you can win big just by sticking to doing the right thing.
We all start very bad, then bad, then OK, then good, then excellent, then an expert. Repetition is the mother of learning. How true!
There is a little gain by quitting.
Successful people are not generally born with great talent. They develop great talents and turn their talent into greatness. They always start doing things that are uncomfortable; out of their comfort zone. They got laughed at. But you know what? Nobody is going to step in their shoes. People are generally too scared. Therefore, you should spent your time honing your skill, sharpening your axe as Stephen Covey put it.
Stick to a regiment no matter what.
One of my mentors is Robert Allen. He has a “Breakfast with Bob” which is one hour talk. It has been 7 years since Bob has been doing it. He can be in Asia it doesn’t matter; he will be on the call every Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST. That is when you are recognized as an expert then you can command your own fee because perception is reality. If you’re perceived as an expert, you’re an expert.
Go and be consistent in something, stick to it until you become an expert at it.
Good luck.