By John Watson
Recently, I heard a self-defence instructor describe how it took him a year to understand how to successfully throw someone of any size over his hip. This hip throw is now one of his favourite throws. He had not given up trying to master this throw but had stayed with the problem until he had conquered it. That is probably why he is an instructor rather than an ordinary student. Persistence helped him succeed. Most average self-defence students would not be ready to spend a year learning to do one technique really well. They would turn their attention to something newer and more interesting to them after a few minutes let alone an entire year.
To become extraordinary, people need to show extraordinary persistence, patience and focus. Even Albert Einstein, the great physicist, credited his persistence rather than his cleverness with his success in solving problems: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Many computer owners lose patience and fail to master the software they are using. I bought Mailloop, a powerful email software solution, several years ago but have not got round to using it even once. I failed to stay with the problem of learning how to use it.
I use aWeber, as my current autoresponder but I only use a small part of its powers as I have yet to study it for any length of time. I know enough to send you this email but that is about it! How, then, do I have the cheek to write to you suggesting you stay with your problems longer? Because I write to myself as much as to you or anyone else. If I waited until I actually followed my own advice, I would be in my coffin before I had written a single article! I am hoping that my own advice will eventually filter through deep into my subconscious and cause me to take consistent action. I hope it will do the same for you.
Good advice needs to be heard again and again until we take action on it. There are, for example, many articles on persistence but another one is always worth writing or reading for those who have failed to persist in some important aspect of their lives. If, like me, you have bought many cookbooks but failed to follow through on more than one or two recipes, keep trying. Spend a longer time on the problem. My brother is a great role model for me in this. He often borrows one of my numerous cook books and actually makes the effort to head down to the shops and buy all the ingredients and then painstakingly prepare them for a meal. He spends much, much longer on mastering the art of cooking than I do. My brother has become such an expert that my stepbrother will only eat a meal cooked by him. He laughs when I suggest he try some of my spaghetti bologna and will only visit my house when my brother is around to do the cooking!
I am happy to spend money on every new cook book that comes out but, when it comes to reading them and using them, I am not yet ready to spend the necessary time. Spending money is easy. Spending time isn’t. I have spent thousands of pounds or dollars on internet courses but have failed even to open many of them. Buying the courses is easy; studying and applying them is not so easy.
Of course, some people do not persist because they believe they will not succeed. They should persist anyway as that is the only way they will find out if they can succeed. If they do persist they may well discover that they can succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Try then, to spend much more time sorting out any problem that confronts you, whether it is trying to throw someone to the ground or learning how to put video on your website or developing the ability to cook a great meal. You may well be delighted with the results.