Persistence is the Key to Business Success

When we choose to become an entrepreneur, most of us realize that this is a long-term game. We understand that success isn’t just going to happen, and that we’re going to need to work our asses off in order to achieve our goals.

In fact, many of us sign-up for this BECAUSE we want to experience this kind of work. We want to put our entire heart and soul into something, watch it grow from infanthood to GRAND success.

However, what is it that keeps so many entrepreneurs going despite setbacks, or lack of proof that they are moving closer to their goals?

Persistence!

Persistence is what allows so many of us to keep going, even when so many other entrepreneurs have chosen to quit.

One Major Goal

Entrepreneurs don’t get into business for the short hours, or the quick paycheck. We know we’re in it for the long-haul, but one thing that can help us move closer to where we want to be in business and also in life, is to have ONE THING that we remain focused on.

Goals can be fun to set. You get to think through ALL of the amazing things that you just cannot wait to create, build, sell, etc., but the problem is that if you have 10 major goals, you’ll have no idea which one deserves your full attention.

Take a moment and think through what it is you want in your business, what is the ONE DRIVING FORCE that you feel pulling you.

What one goal is motivating you to remain persistent in your journey towards success?

For, Dre Baldwin, a guest on Success Unfiltered, his driving force was that he wanted to play pro-basketball and he would not let ANYTHING stop him.

Fresh out of college, Dre was hoping to land a pro basketball gig in another country, so he took what little money he had and decided to sign-up for basketball tryouts for a minor league team, in a city in Pennsylvania he’d never been to before.

He was shocked and disappointed when he arrived because there was only 3 other people there for tryouts. He did his best and excelled, but because he wasn’t able to play a true 5 on 5 game, they told him they couldn’t truly judge how well he played.

That could have been the end for Dre. He could have quit and never returned to tryout again, but Dre lives with a mentality of constant persistence and returned for the next round of tryouts. Sadly, the next round did not go any better.

There was one additional player at the next tryout, but he still couldn’t properly showcase his skills because there weren’t enough players to play 5 on 5. He ended up not getting a pro basketball contract that year, and started working at Foot Locker as an assistant manager, and then moved over to sales for Bally Total Fitness.

What a discouraging situation, but what kept Dre moving toward his ONE GOAL of being a pro basketball player was his focus and determination. He knew what he wanted to do and would let nothing stop him.

These are KEY things for any entrepreneur, but especially key for someone who is new to the entrepreneurial world. You must remain persistent through the toughest times, and allow your drive for your goal to pull you through the muck.

Maintain Serious Confidence

One of the best ways to remain persistent is to have some serious confidence around yourself and your abilities. i.e. Knowing what you want, and not caring what others think.

Dre knew he was good at basketball, but he also knew he wasn’t the best, so he’d play pick-up games to work on his skills, and take on players who’d been playing longer than him, because Dre was always practicing and getting better, he would beat them frequently.

Not only did Dre continually make practice a part of his daily routine, he did what he had to do in order to still find time to play ball. He’d work jobs that he didn’t love, so that he would have free time to play ball, make money so he could afford tryouts gym membership.

Dre deeply believed in his abilities and knew that he would eventually make a team, it would just take time and persistence.

Don’t Give Up, Even When Others Do

What is one thing successful entrepreneurs do? They don’t stop. Ever. Times will get tough, they will experience failures, it will seem as though they’re getting nowhere, but they keep on pushing through to the next hurdle, knowing that with hard work and perseverance their goals will be achieved.

The Ability to Readjust with Ease

Persistent entrepreneurs have this innate ability to readjust when the things they are doing stop being effective. They don’t dwell for too long on a failure that they experienced and worry about whether they’ll ever find success. They KNOW that they will see success, they just need to pivot, or try something new and different.

I’ve shared how certain Dre was with knowing he’d play pro basketball, but he had to change and switch-up how he got there. He tried a few different tryouts, he attended an exposure camp that would help teach him better and stronger skills, and eventually he did get a pro basketball contract, but the first one didn’t last long and he was back to working a regular job. But, he never gave up and he wound up getting another contract in a different country playing pro ball.

Dre knew what he wanted and he didn’t let anything stop him!

In Conclusion

Despite all of the ups and down, twists and turns, Dre was able to achieve what he set out to do, play pro basketball because he never stopped working on his game. Dre started putting his training videos up on YouTube which helped others see how hard he worked, that he was putting the time and effort in and deserved all of the attention he received, which led to a whole new level of success for him.

It doesn’t matter how many setbacks you have, you MUST keep showing up over and over again, and working on your game. If you do this, trust me, your life and your journey will change!

I’d love to hear from you, how have you overcome setbacks and used them to fuel you forward? Please share in the comments!

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