Tortoise And The Hare: Which Wins In Business?

By Dawn Damico


Have you ever wondered what was better: Patience or Persistence?

If you look in the dictionary, you'll see that one of the definitions for "persistence" is the "firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition..."

If your learning how to be successful, some will tell you that persistence will get you to your goal. After all, Denis Waitley himself said that "Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence..."

However, another great mind, Napoleon Hill, also talked about persistence...but a little differently. He said, "The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail..."

There is nothing wrong with embracing your ideals; however, the danger is that by taking that stand out of ONLY persistence...you could be missing out on something even more important.

There is nothing wrong with embracing your ideals; however, the danger is that by taking that stand ONLY out of persistence...you could be missing out on something even more important.

So what does that mean?

Look at that definition of Persistence again. "...the firm or obstinate continuance..." What do you think of a person who is "obstinate?" Think about that for a minute.

Where will persistence get you if you fail to see the bigger picture?

After all, I'm sure that there were plenty of folks who were obstinate about the future success of the automobile, desperately clinging to the manufacture and sale of buggy whips. Where will persistence get you if you fail to see the bigger picture?

Now ask yourself: Does building a business really need to be this hard? Is persistence the only path to success?

You don't have to give up on your dreams. What I mean is that by taking the time to listen to your gut and the soft (and sometimes loud) clues all around you, then you may find an even better, easier, and faster way to accomplish what you want and sometimes even more.

Did you catch that? You don't have to give up on your dreams.

That is the "capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset..."

It takes practice (or persistence) to become Patient! Patience is the "capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset..."

Moving toward success in your business with Patience allows you to go into a "zen" rhythm. Is patience the same as being passive?

In fact, being patient as you build your business takes an enormous amount of confidence and faith...and power. You have to know beyond all doubt that your product and your service are needed by the market.

The time frame of your success may not be what you originally anticipated; you may need to travel down different paths to get there; but because you are patient, confident, and have the ability to be flexible in your approach and adjust your course as different and better opportunities present themselves, you can become successful.

Trust me...I have some experience with this; that confidence that you need can be tough to hang onto. Especially when "life" pulls the rug out from under you.

I've been there!

But even when that happens; even when you don't know when (or if) you'll reach your desired result; if you go through the steps of the process with patience and an openness, you will not only enjoy the journey, but get the most value from the challenges you face.

If you knew you couldn't fail...what would you do differently?

Would you focus more on the core business rather than waste your time on busy work? Would you hire that VA, copywriter, graphic designer, assistant or whoever else you might need to grow your business? Would you finally write that book, create that training, or start giving those classes?

There are always a thousand reasons why we "can't" do something; reasons why it won't work. And most often, we fool ourselves into thinking that "something" that is holding us back from success is external: not enough education, a bad economy, not enough time.

Be patient...with yourself and with your business.

Set your goals; form good habits to get to those goals, and enjoy every step along your journey!

When you enjoy the journey, you can better enjoy the success of your journey.




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