Serengeti Skill #3

The enduring wildebeest

Like the wildebeest, endurance for us in its simplest form is the ability to exert ourselves for relatively long periods of time. More specifically, it’s all about the ability to withstand hardship and stress. We need to remain steadfast and persistent in the face of obstacles. It‘s often not the fastest nor the strongest one that wins the race, it’s the one that stays the course and goes the distance.

Like the wildebeest, endurance—in its simplest form—is our ability to apply ourselves for relatively long periods of time. This quality keeps our minds going when our bodies want to quit, and gives us the mental capability  to continue moving forward despite the obstacles, hardships, pain, fatigue, or stress in our path.

People often reference the ability to endure as “weathering the storms of life.” It’s not whether we encounter them in the first place, but rather how we face and handle them that makes the difference. These storms can alter the course of life; the way  we prepare to cope with them has a great impact on how we survive them, and whether we emerge from the experience stronger for having endured them.

Every professional ordeal and personal hardship we encounter as we pursue our goals is an opportunity to hone this skill—which you might recognize in yourself if you exhibit the following characteristics:

• You have resilience, or the ability to bounce back from adversity.
• You are adept at changing conditions and responding to setbacks and pressures from multiple directions. You see problems as challenging rather than discouraging and as opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills.
• You are an individual with a competitive edge and are always willing to invest the time and effort required to accomplish tasks.
• You remain focused on established goals and plans in the midst of difficult situations. Every project represents your best effort regardless of its struggles.
• You have worked through the setbacks you’ve experienced with stamina, tenacity, and confidence. Others consider you to be an exceptionally diligent and hard worker.

Maximizing This Skill

Whether it comes naturally or you need to work at it, tenacity is vital achieving in success. The actions below will help you improve your personal endurance capabilities:

• Take care of your physical needs and build your mental endurance by actively challenging your brain in difficult situations throughout the day— especially when you’re tempted to be mentally weak. Avoid escapism, the emotional uncertainty that says, “I can’t do anything about it.”
• Focus on discriminating between what is important and what isn’t, and direct your efforts and resources accordingly. The key here is to establish realistic goals and take regular steps toward achieving them by asking yourself: what can I achieve today?
• View problems with a long-term perspective, and focus on what you can accomplish versus what you can’t. Accept the fact that some crises are beyond your control, and while you may not be able to change actual events, you affect the way you interpret and react to them.
• Remain flexible and patient while keeping things in perspective in order to take appropriate action. Hone your ability to quickly adapt and staying the course even when the going gets tough.
• Develop mutually supportive and caring relationships at home and at work to enhance your ability to persist through challenging situations. There is strength in numbers.