Every path to success is wrought with obstacles. There is not a high achiever who did not have a variety of setbacks along the way. Interestingly enough, the most successful people seem to have the most “failures”. Research has shown the correlation to be overwhelming. If you are going to attain great heights in any endeavor, you will have your share of negative incidents.

How the successful handle these setbacks is what separates them from the general population. Most people have the tendency to allow these situations to defeat them. Since they experience some pain because of the results that they get, they plan to avoid doing that again. A prime example is the investor who loses money in the stock market. Instead of learning from the experience, that individual pulls all funds out to avoid the loss again. The lesson was wasted.

Persistence to overcome the tough times is a key factor in attaining success. Athletes know this well. Many championship teams suffered a difficult loss the season before they won the title. They were right on the edge of achieving what they set out to do, only to lose the game thus giving the opportunity to someone else. However, teams that have a champion's heart do not allow this setback to ruin them. They work harder in the off season only to come back more determined than the previous year. It is this that often pushes that team over the top.

It is said that there really are not many overnight success stories. The road to the top is typically a long one that takes many years to travel. For this reason, the desire to persist through all challenges is imperative. Many profession such as acting or sports requires a tremendous amount of dedication. Years are spent honing one's craft. Think of an Olympic athlete as an example. That individual spends years training for something that comes around every four years. Untold hours are spent alone practicing with the goal of attaining perfection. Physical, mental, and emotional pain are experienced at every turn in an effort to realize the dream of performing in the Olympics. The ones who do eventually get to the Games persist through the desire to quit.

You can apply the same desire to succeed that the Olympic athlete has. In fact, if you are going to excel in any endeavor, persistence is a requirement. When you set a goal for yourself, there are a lot of things that will magically appear to aid you in your journey. Simultaneously, a variety of obstacles will emerge almost as quickly. The ability to overcome is necessary. Thinking like a champion assists in creating the discipline to persevere.

Persistence is something that we do. However, the action is a result of our thinking. Those who overcome have the mental makeup design to seek ways to overcome all setbacks. Perseverance starts as an attitude that helps to propel us forward. This attitude alters our approach to those seemingly negative situations that arise on our journey towards success. It gives us the ability to take “things in stride” while maintaining our composure. Different experiences teach us different lessons. Over time, as we learn these lessons, we grow and are able to handle more. Our ability to persevere expands as we move along.

Remember that “overnight sensations” are really results of a great deal of hard work and effort. They experience as many, if not more, failures as victories. Yet, through the entire process, they still kept at it. Develop the ability to bounce back from all setbacks in your life. It is helpful is you can train yourself to do it immediately. The successful do not wait before they get back into “the game”. Similarly, condition yourself to get back into the game of your life at once.