"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Genius will not. Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." -- Calvin CoolidgeThis famous quote emphasizes the importance of persistence and determination. Unfortunately, it also contains the fallacy that "persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." You see, if you persist in doing the wrong thing, you're unlikely to progress. Now if you were to couple continuous learning and improvement with persistence and determination, then you have a formula for success!
In order to succeed at something, there is often a learning curve involved. When you start off you may have learned only a small portion of what you need to know and master before you can succeed. Most people who fail probably do so because they give up before they reach the point where they know enough and have mastered enough in order to succeed. We can think in terms of a threshold -- Money Skill #100: The Threshold Principle. On the one side of the threshold is failure; on the other side, success. People who fail give up before they surpass the threshold.
"Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged." -- Thomas Edison
It took Edison hundreds of experiments to invent the light bulb. He demonstrated tremendous persistence. He also learned from each "failed" experiment. Edison could have given up one experiment before he "saw the light!" Then his attempt to invent the light bulb would have failed for lack of persistence.
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination." -- Tommy Lasorda
So persistence and determination in mastering the money skills you need for success are most important.
"Before success comes into anyone's life they are sure to meet with much defeat." When defeat overtakes a person the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of people do." -- Napoleon Hill
"My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball." Bjorn Borg
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Edison was at one extreme of the "persistence scale." At the other extreme are people who embark on a journey, but never take the first step. They are like people who enroll in a race. They step up to the starting line. When the starter's gun goes off they just stand there as if paralyzed -- or they take a few faltering steps and then give up without even trying to run. My experience with Internet money-making programs is that 80-90% of people give up without really trying.
