Tenacious is a great word. One we don’t hear people using much in today’s everyday language but it’s tenacity that usually helps us to hold our course.
Definition of TENACIOUS
(courtesy of Merriam-webster)
a : persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired <a tenacious advocate of civil rights> <tenacious negotiators>
We all find at times we may need to cultivate tenacity, especially when we feel uncertain, discouraged or otherwise like we want to give up because something is sooo HARD! Some people can naturally be described as tenacious and others may find that Tenacity is a skill that they need to cultivate. There are naysayers out there that say Tenacity can not be taught and although it’s not easy or a “traditional” subject to try to teach I’d bet every parent has tried to varying degrees to teach their children tenacity. I think it’s also important to be selective about being tenacious. No one wants to be constantly pushing towards goals or ideas that no longer serve them so most importantly, evaluate when to let go of things that are not appropriate and cultivate tenacity in more selective terms.
5 Ways to cultivate tenacity:
- Listen to your gut (intuition, instinct or whatever you want to call it)/Ignore your Ego (that naysayer, little devil on your shoulder etc). If it’s making you miserable, it’s time to re-consider it.
- Try it a different way; often times if we’ve tried and given up there may be a different system or solution that might just click! Keep trying until you Succeed and keep track of what works!
- Embrace the Process; not the outcome. There’s no denying we are a result driven society but by being more process centered we can appreciate and congratulate ourselves along the way (to the bigger goals)
- Surround yourself with tenacious people. When we see others emulate qualities we want to cultivate we will be much more likely to succeed.
- Hold yourself accountable but let got of the guilt! Maybe you need an accountability partner (one of those other inspiring tenacious people in your life). Putting it out there in front of others helps hold you to your word.
