I’ve interviewed thousands of people over the last 18 years.
It’s become increasingly clear most folks fall into one of two camps: those who continually give up and those that persevere.
I’m not sure who started the rumor that success can be had quickly, but for most of us it’s not true! Most of us have to persevere for many years, sometimes decades.
I’d like to make the case for persevering.
Let me tell you what happens when you persevere long enough—it gets easier. Success begets more success.
A flywheel gives us a good analogy. I once took had a tour of the Ward pumping station where the pumps that supply our water here in Buffalo are housed. Each pump was four or five stories tall. Big enough to move 30,000,000 gallons of water every day! The flywheels on those things are massive!
Imagine that your job was to spin one of those flywheels. If you walked up to one and pushed with all of your might, maybe you could get it to budge just a little bit. So each day you come back and do it again. You give it every ounce of energy in your body only to move the wheel a little tiny bit. And it might be discouraging.. if you only look at the now.
But the thing is, over time that flywheel begins to pick up speed. And it begins to appear that your efforts produce more results-because that wheel is moving right along now.
Eventually you come into work, and that wheel is moving so fast that you only need to give your wheel a push just to maintain its speed and it’s momentum does all of your work for you.
So too it is with our lives, our jobs, our businesses, our careers.
Pick your path wisely. Make a commitment to persevere for the long haul. Keep pushing, every day, and surely you will find success.