“The price of success comes from dedication, hard work and unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Successful people and teams simply find a way to persist, despite the same hardships of life that others blame for their demise. What makes the bamboo watering metaphor so powerful is that persistence is a universal struggle.
Five Tips to Develop Perseverance and Willpower
- Recover from a win or a loss. Setbacks are guaranteed; long-term success is more about how you recover. We’re all in recovery from something. In this very moment every one of us is recovering from either a win or a loss. For example, it could be a promotion won or a job lost, the birth of a baby or the loss of a loved one or the “win” of a new job, client, or new marriage. The idea that everyone is in recovery normalizes your challenges and successes. After a win or loss, one should ask, “What’s important now?”
Bamboo Rule: Whoever recovers first, wins.
- Find support.Spend time with people who will help you stay on task, who believe in you, and who themselves embody a spirit of persistence. Find yourself a coach or a mentor who will share his or her experiences with you and remind you that you too can be persistent. Find support from your Bamboo Circle™.
- Reclaim the persistence of a child. Have you ever noticed that young kids rarely take no for an answer? In fact, you could call them unreasonable. If you don’t have kids of your own, listen to a two- or three-year-old in the candy aisle of the store. They are persistent. Not only do they ask multiple times, but will ask a variety of ways if their first attempts are rejected.
- Expect resistance. Resistance is a sign that you may be on the right track for growth. View resistance as an exciting challenge rather than a threat or annoyance. Some obstacles we have no control over, so stop worrying about them and get on with watering your bamboo.
“That which you obtain easily, you esteem too lightly.” ~ Thomas Paine
- Re-evaluate your efforts from time to time. Check in periodically with your values and vision to make sure what you’re pursuing still matters to you. Be sure you are focusing only on those things that are fundamental to your vision and values.
