Hi,
I was asked a few years ago in an interview what is the basic ingredient for success.
Of course, there are many ingredients that contribute to success, whether in your career or in your personal life. But I had to choose just one. After some thought and introspection, the most appropriate word I found that best describes the mindset of a successful person is: Tenacity.
We live in an age characterized by the pursuit of immediate gratification. From one-click shopping to on-demand streaming, the idea of waiting or working hard for something, for an unattainable goal, seems to have become alien to many.
Our lives have become more and more hectic, our patience has reduced substantially, we want the information available now! Studies show that 40% of users leave a web page if it does not load within 3 seconds. And 74% give up after 5 seconds. 3-5 seconds! It’s fascinating how much our behavior has changed in just a decade.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth describes tenacity as“perseverance and passion for long-term goals“. It is the relentless desire to continue despite challenges, setbacks and obstacles.
I wonder:
1. Have we lost that long-term success mentality?
2. Has our tenacity waned?
Optimism makes me say no.
Of course, the pace is much faster, especially in business. Artificial intelligence means that results can show up in 6 months or a year, as opposed to in the past when you saw results after 5, 10, or many more years.
However, although we have changed our behavior a lot and expect faster results, our success in our career or personal life will require the same ingredient. The basic ingredient remains tenacity, the will to succeed despite the obstacles we face.
Don’t be fooled by articles in the media that entice you to miraculous success immediately and effortlessly. It is most likely a pipe dream and will distract you from the real path to success.
Ftenacious in what you do and you will succeed!
Claudiu
