I have always been of the school that persistence and tenacity are the primary ingredients to success.  In speaking with successful people, these characteristics always seem to be the common thread.

Today I would like to give you my thoughts on why I think Tenacity Rules:

1. With time and an unwillingness to quit, you generally get better at what you are doing.  Whatever activity you are pursuing, with time comes adjustment, experience and increased competence.  So, the longer you stay at something, the higher the probability that your persistence will result in the achievement of your goal.

In two recent best-selling books, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, the authors make the point that excellence only comes after thousands of hours of practice.  Gladwell speaks to his 10,000 hour rule; for Colvin it is ten years.  But, whatever the measure, success takes time and only those with the tenacity to fight the fight over a long period will find significant success.

2. The Law of Averages:  this point may sound a little goofy but I think that each of us has a certain number of opportunities in our lives.  I believe that each of us, over an extended period of time, will have a number of shots to elevate our stature in our chosen endeavor.  But, we have to be in the game, fighting every day, to be able to take advantage of these chances.  As Thomas Edison said:  “Oftentimes the person who quits never realizes how close to success he really was.”

3. Those who persist will outlast those who want to keep them down.  Whatever you want from life – wealth, power or fame – there are others who want it too and there are usually folks in between you and what you want.

So the question is:   Who is going to cave first?  You or the person in your way who may also want what you want?   Recently I read Get In the Game:  8 Elements of Perseverance that Make the Difference by Cal Ripken.  To those who don’t know Ripken, he is a retired baseball player who holds the record for the most consecutive games played (2,632 over 17 seasons).  Anyone who follows sports knows that this is an incredible achievement given injury, slumps, talented younger athletes and management changes.  To what did Ripken attribute his longevity (tenacity)?  Well, one element was his competitiveness.  He did not want to get beat by “the other guy” – be it the other team’s pitcher or his team’s back-up shortstop.  Most simply, success often goes to those who “want it more” – if most people won’t pay the price that you will, you are likely to prevail in your endeavor of choice.

Jim Randel is the founder of The Skinny On books series – entertaining, quick reads about financial topics and chicanery.