Perseverance is one of the four character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Courage.

Courage describes strengths that help you exercise your will and face adversity.

What is perseverance?

Perseverance is sticking with things. It means being hardworking and finishing what is started, despite barriers and obstacles that arise. 

The pleasure received from completing tasks and projects is very important to those who are high in perseverance. Sometimes he or she must dig deep and muster the will to overcome thoughts of giving up. 

Perseverance involves organizing oneself to support activities (e.g., scheduling breaks and sticking to them, rewarding in small ways along the way), but when all else fails, this strength helps the person to barrel through until the project is done. This helps build further confidence for future successes and goal accomplishment. 

Perseverance involves the voluntary continuation of a goal-directed action despite the presence of challenges, difficulties, and discouragement. There are two vectors of perseverance. It requires both effort for a task and duration to keep the task up.

Why is perseverance of value? 

• Perseverance helps to improve skills, talent and resourcefulness as well as build other character strengths.
• Persistent people learn to focus on task completion not on perfection, thereby developing flexibility and self-control.
• Perseverant people are often seen as dependable – people who follow through on commitments. This contributes to being a valued team member and builds trust that can be a foundation for good relationships.  

A couple of questions to consider

• When does persevering in a task feel engrossing to you as opposed to a chore?
• What role do others play in helping or hindering your perseverance?

Some things that you can do to practise perseverance

• Set a new work goal today. List two potential obstacles that may come up and ways that you will overcome them. 
• Select a role model who exemplifies perseverance in your community and determine how to follow in that person’s footsteps. 
• Identify a personal behaviour, habit or issue that you would like to change and how you will practise perseverance to bring about that change. 

For more information on the strength of perseverance, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character…/perseverance

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)