Laozi said that perseverance is the basis of all actions. However, let's face it, no one teaches us to weave this skill.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Training perseverance is the art that allows us to face any challenge. Thanks to this psychological strength, we reach our goals, face adversity and make resilience the sign that distinguishes us, to never give up.
Perhaps training perseverance will not allow us to achieve the desired happiness, but it will certainly help us gain something more powerful: pride in ourselves. It leads us to be, for example, the kind of person who knows how to face challenges, who works on his own destiny, who knows no surrender and gets up after every fall.
Laozi said that perseverance is the basis of all actions. However, let's face it, no one teaches us to weave this skill, nor how does the personality hoof develop that helps us achieve higher goals. We generally acquire it from our closest environment: from those parents who inspire us, from the figures we admire for their attitude and approach to life.
How nice it would be if we could be born with this competence, written in our genetic code! Recent studies suggest that perseverance acts as a powerful psychological endurance exercise. It is more than a tool that helps achieve goals. It is a dimension linked to less depression and a very effective strategy against anxiety.
Perseverance is a health tool worth maximizing.
"If you want to be successful in life, make perseverance your soul friend, experience your wise advisor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius."
-Joseph Addison-
Training perseverance: key to daily resilience
A study of great interest in the field of psychology and personal growth has recently been published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. This is a work conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, which lasted almost twenty years. It allows us to shed light on some aspects of the personality.
- The most persevering people, who identify a goal and strive to achieve it, have a lower risk of suffering from panic attacks, anxiety and depression.
- Training perseverance, according to this study, helped some 3300 people develop a more resilient mindset.
- A more resilient attitude acts as a psychic force capable of protecting us from ailments such as anxiety and depression.
- Persevering people are less stuck in the maze of worries. Their thoughts are not obsessive, but they use a cognitive approach based on problem solving, creativity and positive reflection.
- They are tenacious characters with an attitude aimed at growth and not at stagnation. They always have their goals, dreams and desires in mind. All this acts as a motivating impulse, in which fear, the suspicion of helplessness or failure do not find room.
Is it possible to train perseverance?
Neuroscience has discovered that dopamine is related to perseverance and the kind of proactive behavior that allows us to be successful. Dr. Joe Z. Tsien, co-director of the Medical College of Georgia's Brain and Behavior Discovery Institute, tells us that we can all promote the secretion of this neurotransmitter, creating new habits, keeping our goals and motivation clear.
These, then, are the mental attitudes that we must maintain to train perseverance:
Set a specific goal
Without a clear goal, no movement is generated, without purpose, hope is not born. We must be clear in mind that the mind feeds on dreams and if these do not materialize into precise and realistic goals, the motivation does not set in motion.
Self control
When we set a goal on our horizon, we don't have to look back. We have to direct our forces and ideas towards that concrete point. To do this, dimensions such as despondency, frustration, anxiety and stress must be effectively managed. Self-control, therefore, is the key to training perseverance.
Positive attitude
Positivity, the feeling of effectiveness, self-confidence and a good mood are, in the same way, nourishment for obtaining good results. Furthermore, perseverance goes hand in hand with this totally positive attitude that does not allow limiting or adverse emotions to enter.
Forbidden to surrender
Having a dream, overcoming a depression, developing a new skill, feeling proud. These dimensions require one ingredient above all: the ability not to give up. We can, however, take a step back to reset new goals and thus gain more momentum.
You can also stop for a moment to reflect and take on new perspectives. What we must not do instead is remain immobile, stagnant, trapped by mistrust and surrender. In short, training perseverance is an exercise in strong motivation and mental health.
We can all improve this in order to turn our resources and potential to our favorand, invest in well-being and advance a little more every day.
