Persistence is a Superpower

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

― Calvin Coolidge 

The Coliseum was built between 70 A.D. and 80 A.D. It stands today. "Persistence" comes via Latin roots, "per" meaning through and "sistere" to stand. It means "to stand through" challenges or adversity. 

Edison's lightbulb meant tolerating hundreds of failures. The Red Sox 2004 championship meant 86 years surviving far and near misses. The MVB 2012 title happened after state final losses in 2005 and 2011. Success seldom follows a straight line or short time. 

What images come to mind when you think of persistence? 

• The Grand Canyon where water defeats stone
• The man who took down a mountain by hand
• The Energizer Bunny keeps going and going...
• Cliff Young won the Australian ultramarathon in 1983 at age 61.
• The US Miracle on Ice, coming from behind three times to beat Russia
• Canadian Coach Dave Smart teaches, "Excellent teams are capable of playing harder for longer." 

Persistence is more than a state of mind. Persistence transforms ordinary to excellent and excellent to exceptional. Persistence is action. 

Mindset - Persistence is my identity. 

Affirmations - "I outwork my opponents." "I do not quit." "I am relentless." 

Visualization - "I see myself reaching my goals." 

Actions - Inspiration becomes perspiration. Live Dan Pink's "Do five more" - make five more calls, read five more pages, do five more sprints.  

From Ryan Holiday, "The Obstacle Is the Way"

Lagniappe. Learn from Brian Tracy's The Power of Self-Confidence: Become Unstoppable, Irresistible, and Unafraid in Every Area of Your Life (2012).

Here are key points via ChatGPT Plus:

1. Confidence is built, not bestowed.

Tracy rejects the idea that confidence is innate. It’s a skill formed through discipline and repetition.

• Confidence grows from competence — doing the hard work, practicing fundamentals, and stacking small wins.

• “You can’t feel secure about what you haven’t mastered.”
  Takeaway: In sport or leadership, the antidote to doubt is preparation. Confidence isn’t a feeling you wait for; it’s the residue of deliberate effort.

2. Self-esteem is the foundation of performance.

Tracy defines self-esteem as “how much you like yourself.” High self-esteem fuels risk-taking and resilience.

• Every time you act in line with your values, self-esteem rises. Every time you betray them, it falls.

• He encourages daily affirmations of identity (“I like myself”) — not as fluff, but as cognitive conditioning.
  Coaching parallel: Athletes who connect effort to self-respect, not external validation, recover faster from setbacks and criticism.

3. Thoughts shape emotions, emotions shape actions.

Tracy builds on the cognitive-behavioral loop: what you think determines how you feel, and how you feel determines how you act.

• Replace self-defeating internal dialogue (“I always mess up under pressure”) with constructive self-talk (“I’ve prepared well — I can handle this”).

• “You become what you think about most of the time.”
  Lesson: Thought management is performance management. Teach athletes to talk to themselves, not listen to themselves.

4. Courage precedes confidence.

Many wait to feel confident before acting; Tracy flips that.

• Action breeds confidence; hesitation breeds doubt.

• Every small act of courage — speaking up, taking a shot, owning a mistake — strengthens the “courage muscle.”

• He writes, “Move boldly in the direction of your dreams, and confidence will follow.”
  Application: In coaching, create low-risk reps where players act decisively. Reward courage, not just outcomes.

5. Goals, clarity, and purpose multiply confidence.

Tracy insists that clarity is the single biggest driver of confidence.

• People with written goals and plans project certainty; people drifting without direction radiate uncertainty.

• Confidence thrives on alignment — knowing what you want and why it matters.
  Practical step: Write, visualize, and review goals daily. Confidence comes from seeing progress toward a chosen aim, not waiting for validation from others.

In essence

Brian Tracy’s thesis:

“Confidence is not believing you’ll always succeed; it’s knowing you can handle whatever happens.”

Confidence = clarity + competence + courage + consistency.
It’s teachable, trainable, and renewable — the same way you build skill, culture, or trust.

Lagniappe 2. Via Sun Tzu in The Art of War, "Every battle is won before it is fought."