If you have the quality of being persistent, you may find yourself with an edge over your competitors. People like others who are persistent, even if they don’t show it on the surface. If you are not persistent, it may be time to change that as it can hold you back from success.
The main ingredient in being more persistent is to want something bad enough. People state they want certain events to happen, like a promotion, etc. But, they don’t do what it takes to get it. For instance, suppose you had a childhood dream of playing the piano. You took lessons as a kid, and you love listening to others who play well. However, you just can’t seem to put it together for yourself.
The truth is, if you aren’t persistent at something, it means you don’t want it bad enough. This is true with any aspect of your life. If you wanted to be a baseball star, did you do what it takes to make that happen?
It’s important to realize the difference between persistence, and being a pest. If you constantly harp on someone to give you what you want, you are likely to turn them away, which defeats your goals. You need to come up with a tactful method of letting someone know you want what they have to offer.
For instance, suppose you go on a job interview and feel it went well. You don’t hear back from your potential employer for several days. If you start calling them every day to find out the status, you will reduce your chances of getting the job. It is okay to reach out once, and then follow up if nothing happens after a week or two. Of course, it would be polite for the potential employer to keep you in the loop if he or she feels you are in the running for the job. However, people are busy, and they let these situations escape them.
Sometimes, you have to be persistent even if it is uncomfortable to do so. If you are dealing with government agencies for one reason or another, you may need to keep after them. They have no incentive to get back to you, especially if you are looking for something from them. In this instance, it’s okay to hound them down, because if you don’t you will never get what you need out of them. It still is a good idea to remain polite, even if it becomes difficult to do so.