Persistence…

If you can get real with Persistence, what would it be for you in terms of daily action?

It can be sticking with your plan, no matter how hard it could be during the course. It can be sticking with your goal, and modify your tactics so that you can reach your goal. It can be sticking with your goal, and be on hold for a long while to figure out your next step when you are in dark and don’t know where to put your feet.

……

It does not matter what situations you may face, as long as you have determined to get to the end of your starting journey, you are a persistent person.

And sometimes, the key to be persistent is to do:

Little and Often

And you can Make Much More.

Hanging on there a little bit more

When I started to run for 5K, it’s the last a few minutes to the finish line that called my ability to overcome the puffing and struggles of my legs and feet.

Once I was able to run 5K easily, it’s the last few minutes for 10K finishing line testing my will and ability…

It’s the last a few minutes where we stretch, grow and increase our new abilities. It’s the last a few minutes that test our will, test our ability to keep the promise we’ve made to ourselves, and test our strength to overcome the challenges.

It’s the last a few minutes to finish line test us; it’s the last a few pounds we want to loose test us; it’s the last a few pages of our report test us; it’s the last a few follow ups test us…

When you start something, you will finish it – whether it’s a success, a mediocre, a failure… you get to reach your finish line.

You just need hanging on there a little bit more.

Take yourself seriously

Do you ever take yourself seriously? What did it feel to you?

When you missed an appointment, an assignment, a goal, a promise, what’s going on there?

More often than not that the missed engagements are due to your sluggish, lazy, unclear, unawareness of your responsibilities to yourself. You did not take yourself seriously.

If you want others to take you seriously, professionally, you get to treat yourself the same way first.

Very often, we forget the first and the most important relationship we have is with ourselves.

What is the importance for you, what is your intention, why you will do that… ask yourself questions to get better understanding your role, your responsibility, your intention, and your engagements in that context and the time.

With the good understanding, take yourself seriously, others will take you seriously as well.

Do you really know ‘Who you are’ ?

We are human being. We always search the answer for who I am.

Once we think we know who we are after soul searching. Have you had any thinking that you are still learning who you are?

Knowing who you are is a big achievement for the time being, as long as you know that the content of who you are is a moving target.

Because you are growing and discovering your potentials every day, what you knew who you are yesterday may have new additions today.

‘This is who I am’ can be used for justification, self defense sometimes. This will limit your growth.

So next time, when you tell yourself ‘this is who I am’, think it hard: is this really the case? Does this reflect my values? My believes? Can I give the benefit of doubt and leap forward once?

By doing this, you can enrich ‘who I am’ and know who you really by reflection.

Habit formation

To form a new habit can be challenging. This requires awareness, persistence, clarity, and stoic.

If you decide to form a new habit, you will need be clear why you want to have it, how to get there, what would be the result of it.

Early stage of starting a new habit can be exciting. You are pumped up and start your new journey.

The hard part is after you practice the habit for a little while, say, a month later. You may enter to a stage of sluggish, or confusion. Because this is where your old habit begins to fight with your new habit.

Your old habit may be stronger and nastier, you may lose your battle if you give up to your old “friend”. Or you can become tougher and clearly know what you want and where you wan to be, so you will head on the challenge, get bruises, sore muscles, and end up with new stronger muscles, therefore new habit.

When you decide to form a new habit, you have made an option to grow new muscles. Be prepared mentally and physically. You will be there.

Character is fate

Character is who you are. Your character is your fate.

Many people get lucky, and have success or are rich, because of great parents, certain environment, or by chances.

However, for those are not so rich, not born with glory or favorite surroundings, character decides her fate,

Your success from character is from long term. You will not see immediate result in a short period.

Therefore, you will need stoic, be determined, be persistent. Grit is called on when you face challenges, setbacks. Even when you do not see any light at the end of the tunnel, you need just focus the one small step in front of you – one step at a time.

If it is gold, it will shine after all.

Character is your fate.

Believe in yourself

How much do you believe in yourself now? 60%, 70%, 80 or 90%?

If your boss, or or your colleagues give you negative comments, how much do you believe in yourself?

What about if you just made a huge mistake, or failed to reach your goal?

The tough time calls for your character. It calls for your courage. It calls for your clarity.

You are a whole person – a person who is naturally, creative, resources, and whole.

Therefore, believe in yourself.

A 90:10 rule says: you should dominantly (90 percent) have your own self-acceptance and self-appreciation and only 10 percent from external approval or assigned worth.

Like Lao Tzu said:

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”

Believe in yourself majorly.

You will be more creative and you will be happier.

A leader with curiosity

One of the attributes a leader should have is curiosity.

What does it mean for a leader to have curiosity?

It means that a leader should have consultative skills when she leads. She learns about her teams by asking good questions to clarify situations, provoke thoughts, engage with employees, and show empathy…

In addition, a leader with curiosity is a leadership with growth mind. A growth mindset is the essential attribute to be a good leader, an effective leader and successful leader.

Change others, Serve others

We want to have influence, to be impactful.

What is the key element to do so?

It’s not power, not authority, not loud voice, not force…

It’s your ability to serve others.

Only when you are able to serve others, you can connect with them and get trust from them.

Serve others mean you know what they need, what they want, and you are capable to provide these to them. Therefore, they listen to you.

Sometimes they don’t know what they want. It’s your responsibility to let them realize or see what they want and provide these to them.

These places are where your leadership shows. Where you serve others that you make your impact.

One connection at a time

What is the number one important thing in our life?

Relationship.

We live in a society, in a community, in a family. We are social animals. No one lives in vacuum.

Only when we have good relationships with people around us, with surroundings, we feel happy. We can get support. We feel connected.

Therefore, get connections and build relationships are essential for having a quality life.

It’s tricky to connect people. This needs you to get under people’s skin, have empathy, produce influence. This takes time to learn, practice. But it’s totally worthy it.

Be patient. Build one connection at a time. Over time, these connections are becoming a net. As the net becomes bigger, you grow stronger.