Why Persistence Matters

Many great achievements in life don’t come easy so if you want to succeed in your job, you’ll need a certain amount of persistence. Perhaps you have targets or goals that you need to achieve to secure that much needed pay rise or promotion, or maybe you simply take pride in your work and want to do the best you can. Whatever sights you have set for yourself in your job, it will likely take a lot of determination and hard work to achieve your goals.

While the idea of ongoing persistence and dedication might overwhelm some people, remember that the effort you put into something makes the end result even more rewarding as it becomes of greater value.

Why is persistence important?

Rarely do our jobs take very little effort, and if they do it’s likely our work life will begin to feel unrewarding and unsatisfying. When we don’t have something to aim for or obstacles to overcome, we can become demotivated and unfulfilled. These kinds of feelings can cause us to lose our self-esteem and self-worth, making our lives feel less meaningful and over time this can impact our mental health. If we give up on a task at the first sign of difficulty, it can make us feel as though we’re not good enough or scared to attempt anything else in the future for fear of failure.

When we understand the importance of persistence, having goals at work can be exciting and motivating, making our role much more rewarding. Overcoming obstacles and challenges also allows us to grow and evolve, which has a positive effect on our mental wellbeing and can reduce anxiety and depression. In a study published by Psychology Today, it found that “People who refuse to give up on achieving specific goals and approach challenges with a positive outlook are at lower risk of clinical depression…generalized anxiety disorder… and panic disorder”.

Ways to be more persistent

Set yourself clear goals and understand why you want to achieve them so that you have a reason to be persistent. By knowing what you want to gain, you’ll become more resilient and determined to overcome any obstacles in your way.

Remain humble and accept that you might not always know the best way to achieve your goal. By listening to constructive feedback and learning from mistakes (which you will most likely make many times along the way), you accept that it’s all part of the process in getting to where you want to be.

Don’t be afraid of challenges because throughout history they have been a major part of many successful journeys. Imagine if Einstein had given up at the first hurdle!

Don't be afraid to change your plan. Try to be aware when something isn’t working and rather than continuing on a certain path just because that’s how you envisioned it, look at other options and try something new. Much of being persistent is about being flexible and knowing when to change your approach.


Once you have mastered the art of persistence, you’ll reap not only the material rewards, but you’ll have improved your mental health along the way.