Persistence equals success

Hard words for me to practice: Be persistent in whatever you do.

I don't have enough fingers and toes to count all the times I've tried something and given up before I'd reached the success mark I'd set for myself. One reason for those failures may be the fast-paced, want-it-now society we live in. If an endeavor doesn't succeed immediately, ditch it and try something else.

Another reason for my failures could be my commitment level. Had I really thought it through, pictured what success would look and feel like? I'm guessing the answer to that question is a no.

Learning from our mistakes is a good thing. Here's what I've learned. Since I've chosen to work at home, as a freelance writer, the sound foundation on which I'm building that career choice is persistence. Every day, I've committed to write; assignments, for sure, and at the very least, my daily article. It's an idea Michael Masterson, a highly successful entrepreneur, writer, and founder of Early to Rise, an e-magazine, suggested after he'd read about a woman who'd written 365 plays, one each day for a year. He challenged his readers to do likewise: write an article, a story, a poem, every day. At the end of the year, you'll have improved your writing, and have a significant body of work that can be marketed and sold, in whole or in part. Not only that. In my opinion, the person who accomplishes that feat has also made significant strides in another area of importance, persistence.

On the flip side, I've noticed that, when I don't write every day, I lose my edge. Re-starting my writing engine isn't easy. Before I can face the page, I also have to overcome another writerly problem, self-confidence (should I really be writing? can I write? etc., etc., etc.)

Dorothy is a retired Latin teacher I once knew. In her retirement, she gravitated to a work-at-home job as a writer. She told me how she'd set up a writing schedule for herself, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. every weekday, and that she'd stuck to it faithfully. The takeaway I learned? That her persistence succeeded. She produced stories, articles, poems that she successfully marketed. Instantly, Dorothy became my role model.

I'm committed to my work-at-home job. The most important tool I use is persistence because I'm 100% convinced, thanks to Dorothy and Michael, that persistence equals success.