Written by: Dale Halm, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Scientists say that 92 percent of people fail to achieve important life goals. That’s unsettling. So, how can you be one of the eight percent that succeed? The answer is – by being relentless. This article examines how being persistent can help you accomplish your most difficult and sought-after ambitions.
You Must Become Unstoppable
When faced with a daunting goal that you really want to achieve, you must be unrelenting. Someone who is relentless is strongminded about completing their objective. They refuse to give up even when the task at hand is extremely demanding or uncomfortable. They are fierce and impassioned. Is that you? To accomplish formidable goals requires that you become unwavering and unstoppable. Did you get that? It must be impossible to stop you. Your approach and behavior must be uncompromising. When people hear you talk, they hear you speak with conviction. You say, “I will achieve my goal no matter what.” There’s no hedging, only certitude.
Keep Moving Forward
As you work toward your goal you will inevitably arrive at a tipping point. Things look good, things look shaky. There is a lot on the line, so much to do. The demands of life are stealing your attention. To get to the finish line is a formidable proposition. This is a critical juncture. No matter how resilient you are, distractions will harass you incessantly if you let them. Regardless of how many punches you take you must stand up, fight, and forge ahead. You must be relentless.
It boils down to two alternatives.
Option 1: dabble in the action for a while but cave in and give up. Tell yourself and others how intimidating things are and that unfortunately you won’t be able finish your project.
Option 2: seize the moment and push forward. Dig in, scratch, claw, struggle, fail, keep pressing and ultimately succeed.
This is about getting the results you truly desire. It is not about luck; it’s about doing the necessary work that leads to success. The joy is in the journey of doing the painstaking labor your project demands. As you get closer to completion you must get overly aggressive. Hesitation is your enemy; action is your ally. Persist, double down, then triple your effort.
The Numbers Add Up
Do three things a day to advance your goal. Let’s do the math. That is 21 tasks completed in a week, 84 tasks a month, and 252 in three months. Now you’re cranking. Tell the world to get out of your way. You’ve got something vital to do. Too tired or your tank is empty, keep working. Too busy, too many other things to do, focus on your goal. Afterall, you said it was extremely important. Your response to difficulties speaks volumes. Is the task before you too complicated? That’s your signal to assertively get after it now.
Tenacity Equals Excellence
Being steadfast and exercising grit is how you show up when you dare to excel. Your tactic is tenacity. A river cuts through rock not because of its power but by the virtue of its persistence. Your unyielding resolve is your most powerful weapon − no slacking, no excuses. Repeat, no excuses. No stories about why things can’t be done. Instead, focus on what you can do to make inroads. View impediments as temporary. Emphasize making progress. Concentrate on what you can influence and control. Reach out to others and ask for help. Oh my, now you are on to something. By sheer force of will, you can do whatever needs doing. Feel the momentum. The great football coach Vince Lombardi said, “The difference between men is in energy, in the strong will, in the settled purpose, and in the invincible determination.”
Action Is Your Superpower
When you think about your goal, ask yourself, what are you truly committed to? Honor that. Make it happen. Work on it daily, bit-by-bit. Never give up. Quit thinking about everything on your to-do list. Stop dwelling on what’s holding you back. There is no power in that. The more you act, the more you become invincible. You only get one at bat in life, so swing for the fences. Evaluating your next step to the “nth” degree or worrying about potential schedule delays won’t accomplish anything. Only action will move you forward. Be forceful. Be diligent. Be constant and insistent. Let others feel your intensity. Do not stop when you are tired, stop when you are done.
Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up. It happens when you create and live into explicit goals so strongly that setbacks don’t intimidate you, they inspire you. They urge you to act. To push harder and grind your way forward becomes your reward. Success is knowing that you are giving your absolute best in the arena called life. As others watch from the sidelines, you are in the game refusing to give up. You persevere no matter what.
Author and lecturer Werner Erhard brilliantly captures the impact action has in our lives in the following quote. Read it several times to fully grasp its power. “It is important to get clear for yourself that your only access to impacting life is action. The world does not care what you intend, how committed you are, how you feel or what you think, and it certainly has no interest in what you want and don’t want. Look at life as it is lived and see for yourself that the world only moves for you when you act.”
Examples of Relentless People
Think you are too young, too old, or not good enough to succeed? Look at the list below. When people are relentless spectacular things occur.
At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor living in a trailer.
Mark Cuban, an American entrepreneur and media personality (estimated network $4.8 billion), failed at almost every job he ever had early in his career.
Morgan Freeman landed his first major movie role at age 52.
Steven Spielberg was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times.
Ray Kroc spent his career as a milkshake-device salesperson before buying McDonald’s at age 52 in 1954. He grew it into the world’s biggest fast-food franchise.
When the Beatles first started Decca Recording studios said, “we don’t like their sound, they have no future in show business.”
Questions You Must Ask
As you go forward in your quest to reach significant life goals reflect on these four questions. They can help you assess your willingness to be relentless.
Will you work tepidly or relentlessly to attain your goals?
What excuses are you making that interfere with you accomplishing your goals?
What would it look like if you were unstoppable in the pursuit of your objectives?
When will you stop over analyzing things and start doing what needs to be done?
Dale Halm, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dale Halm is the Founder of Dale Halm Consulting, LLC. He has held leadership positions for a Fortune 500 company and has contributed significantly to record-setting start-up operations resulting in multi-million dollar cost savings. Dale's extensive experience includes various training and organization development roles at Intel, Freescale (NXP), and Arizona Public Service Company. He is the author of The Excellence Agenda and specializes in transforming workplaces and maximizing human potential. Dale has been a speaker at numerous conferences and holds both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University.
