Psychology: Persevering... Even When Everyone Else is Quitting and Giving Up!

Maybe it's just a sign of the times, but it often feels — at least to me — like the world expects everything to be "fast and easy." And when faced with something challenging (even though potentially very rewarding), a lot of folks start looking for "a quick and dirty shortcut," in place of doing things "properly."

And if results don't come fast enough? They are out of there...

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but it feels like a variation on "wanting the benefits, but without paying your dues."

Or Is it a Personality Thing?

Then again, maybe it's a personality thing.  Maybe it's "me," not "them."

Even back in the day when I worked in Korporate Amerika, I was sort of known as "that guy" who would take on a "marginal loser" project and force it to succeed through sheer hard work and force of will.

When people ask me for advice about projects, blogs and social media, I tend to hone in on the reality that they seem to be operating from a perspective that it is "supposed to be easier" than it really is. And they end up ready to give up and pack it in before it has had a chance to succeed.

I look at some of my other web properties and blogs and online projects and realize that they are not better, more interesting, more unique, funnier, more charming or anything else than my competitors... and the truth (or at least part of it) is more that I have succeeded not out of any great "genius," but as a result of being relentless.

The "Dark" Side of Perseverance?

Some years back, I was having a rather long conversation with a friend about web marketing.

In explaining my approach, and what I had accomplished, he countered with the question:

"Not to diminish what you've done, but has it ever crossed your mind that some of these never-developed projects with which you have created minor success really had no business EXISTING?"

His point being that the "average worker" might have looked at the same thing, declared "this is not viable" and moved on to something more readily developable. 

His secondary point being that I might have been far more successful in life if I'd taken on something "easier" rather than trying to dig something highly "dubious" out of the rubble and forcing it to become something.

The "Fear" of Having to Compete

Although it would have been easy for me to feel insulted by my friend's suggestion, I recognized the threads of truth in what he was saying.

I have generally avoided fields, industries and lines of business that seemed "mainstream," instead choosing pretty marginal, esoteric, low volume and specialized areas.

I remember a line from a TED Talk I once watched where the presenter observed "Everyone knows that the easiest way to become a top influencer in your field is to choose a very small field!"

I recall laughing at that statement, and yet relating quite deeply to it. 

Following the conversation with my friend, I had to pause and take a long hard look at my approach to life, to goals, and especially to business.

I realized that I often chose the "marginal" and the "unknown" because I knew I would have little competition there.

My limited experience with "mainstream" work was one of being annihilated by the competition who had better resources, more charm, skills, knowledge, assertiveness or whatever. 

What's My Advantage?

My only tangible advantage or competitive edge — or so I felt — was the knowledge "Yeah, but I'm willing to work at this 80 hours a week for 10 years to make it succeed, and I know you're NOT!"

Which tends to be very true.

My "wake up call" was trying to embrace the idea that it actually wasn't "reasonable" — in "real world terms" — that someone need to work 80 hours a week for 10 years to get something to succeed.

Success — even marginal success — can be a lot easier than that.

I still struggle somewhat with a tendency to keep plugging away at things that should just have been left to die, but I'm getting better. And I've actually let go of a few marginal "pet projects" that I have been keeping "barely alive" for many years. A couple of them were blogs and web sites I abandoned after starting to blog on Steemit...

How About You? Do you have a specific "personal competitive edge?" Are you a very persistent person, or is it easy for you to let go of something as soon as it doesn't live up to expectations? Do you continue to work on projects you should really let go of? If you DO hang onto things that are not readily successful, why do you think you do so? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

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Created at 180522 13:17 PDT