Along my drive to my parent's house, I was listened to a talk show on 95.3 FM, which was seemingly titled "Perseverance and Pervasiveness." The broadcasters were comparing the traits of Marines and Olympic Athletes. Their argument is that both of these groups share the traits of perseverance and pervasiveness.
Listening to this broadcast, I was both confused and intrigued - as I had no idea what this really meant or where it was going.
The broadcaster went to talk about how these two groups of outstanding individuals share two main traits - those of perseverance and pervasiveness. It's not only that they share these traits, it how they go about achieving them.
The way that they show perseverance in their day to day lives is one major aspect that sets them apart. Take the way an Olympic Athlete trains. Sure, like you or I, they look at their end goal - winning a gold medal. But what sets an Olympic athlete apart from another athlete is the way that they achieve that goal.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION -- Both groups have unusually high levels of intrinsic motivation. External rewards, such as getting paid, undermine this, so getting paid for something actually decreases a person's natural motivation. Those who have intrinsic motivation are likely to believe that the results are within their control, rather than occurring due to outside factors. These type of people innately believe that the harder you work, the more that you will achieve.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS -- Maintaining a routine is essential to keep a constant commitment. Don't procrastinate. Don't put off the task that you need to do in order to just feel good now. Realize that a challenging task will not be any easier tomorrow, so listen to the words of Benjamin Franklin and "don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today."
SELF-AWARENESS -- It causes people to work on their faults and keeps the ego in check. This practice requires us to focus on ourselves in order to evaluate our current behavior against our internal standards and values. It develops gradually through a succession of different behaviors which all relate to oneself. Meditation, feedback, talking with friends, and writing down your goals/priorities are all methods used by Marines and Olympic Athletes to increase self-awareness.
CELEBRATE EACH SMALL SUCCESS -- They take each day, each practice, one at a time. The set an achievable goal for themselves each day, making each day a success. By promoting and celebrating each small success, it creates the presence of constant achievement. The same practice occurs when Marines are training.
STAY PRESENT -- Pervasiveness is about staying present in every aspect of their days. Take everything minute by minute. Pay attention to your thoughts. Keep your attention and focus in the here and now. Realize that thoughts are exactly that, thoughts. What matters is where you are, right now, in this moment.
NEVER GIVE UP --Maintain strength, courage, and conviction through any circumstance. Eventually all of your determination will pay off.
This last one may not be from the Marines or Olympic Athletes, but...
Do sharks complain about Mondays? No. They're up early, biting stuff, being scary - reminding everyone that they're a fucking shark. BE A FUCKING SHARK.
