A major part of my job – perhaps the most important part – is helping people reach their financial goals in life. Over the years, I’ve discovered that while things like planning, saving, and investing are crucial, it’s equally important to look beyond the numbers. Achievement is about more than just spreadsheets or quarterly statements. It’s about perseverance.
Perseverance
What is perseverance?
“Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.” – Julie Andrews
“Perseverance is the secret of all triumphs.” – Victor Hugo
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a client work so hard at something, only to come up short. A degree. A promotion. A new job. An award. Retirement. You name it, I’ve seen it.
What I can tell you is that the clients who then pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again – and who do it every time – are the same ones enjoying their achievements right now.
What good does perseverance do?
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams
In our lives, we will face almost constant obstacles. Financial hardship, poor health, unfortunate circumstances, even other people will stand in the way of who we want to be, where we want to go, and what we want to do.
“A lot of people are going to try to do the same thing you want to do. You just have to decide if you’re one of the people who quits.” – Shea Serrano
The road to our goals will often seem treacherous. The obstacles will seem insurmountable, and the going unbearably slow. But if the destination is what we truly want, it will be worth the mileage. That’s why my favorite quite about perseverance comes from none other than Abraham Lincoln, who said:
“I may walk slowly, but I never walk backward.”
As you progress towards your goals in life, always remember that the ability to keep walking, no matter how slowly, is what will get you there. It matters more than talent. It matters more than wealth. Those things can certainly make the road easier.
But perseverance is what makes the distance shorter.
