I was reading an article the other day about how women are discouraged in developing careers in science. One resume was developed with specific skills and accomplishments and then the names John and Jennie assigned to it. The resume was circulated among science professors for comments on their prospects and potential salaries they would offer them as research assistants.
What was amazing is that in the majority of cases, even among the female professors, the male John was seen as more accomplished than the female Jennie, and offered a higher salary despite having the same skill set. It was disappointing to say the least in that even when females have gone the distance they are still seen as lesser.
That study got me thinking not just about female male perception but also about how we are channeled in certain directions and the strength it requires to become the outlier whether you are male or female. To go against the grain requires a certain level of inner strength that has to be drawn on time and time again when swimming against the tide.
Persistence is not a popular topic in present day society because we are constantly being seduced into thinking that “If we build it, they will come.” And it doesn’t help that we have all heard about the video that went viral and made someone rich and famous. It begins to build the mindset of perform one step and there you are! But what happens when you know you are good, begin to try and try and nothing happens? What do we do after we have built it and no one comes? Overnight successes are usually preceded by unseen long stretches of striving and trial and error that may require each of us to “know that we know” even when the world tells us we are wrong. . .
Develop a tolerance for the unknown – Every step of our progress cannot be known and even though we may start with the end in mind we are never guaranteed that is where we are going. Be willing to “just see” where the road will take you as part of an ongoing effort. Not all our work travels on a straight line and sometimes we must embrace that journey.
Mistakes are how we learn – Fear of making a mistake sometimes paralyzes us and prevents our making bold moves. But, every mistake also involves learning what does and does not work which indirectly adds to our store of knowledge. I know of many cases where I have ended up on a dead end path but later was able to use the information gained on another unrelated project to bring it to successful completion. The trick is to cultivate the habit of making mistakes faster and faster!
Embrace refining by trial and error – this concept is in line with the above mentioned concept of learning to make mistakes faster and faster. I am reminded of Thomas Edison who was self taught and as a result always seemed to embrace the idea of trying over and over and each time incorporating new knowledge gained along the way. This mindset ultimately caused him to produce a tremendous number of inventions. Yes, it can at times be frustrating but this is where refining helps you to narrow the focus and speed up looking for that needle in the haystack.
Beware of only one solution to every problem – Accept that there will always be nay sayers who will tell you it cannot be done this or that way. This is really where persistence becomes a vital ally because it helps you see that there are ways to go over, under, or around a particular road block. Sometimes the problem provides the solution and coming at it from several different ways will present avenues you had never anticipated.
Being doggedly determined is never an easy path to travel. But, if you talk to any number of people who became successful at what they do, they will tell you about the twists and turns they had to take and how the persistence of “knowing that they knew” ultimately caused the circumstances to bend to their will.