The Power of Perseverance: Keep Trying

As humans, we never achieve the perfectly ideal life. There are always a few missing pieces, areas of weakness. We have limited energy, time and resources. We can only focus attention to limited areas, creating a necessity for trade-offs. Accordingly, we must design our lives with trade-offs, choosing to refine one area and neglect another. No worries. there is no perfect path. We just keep trying.

​Each healthy life has its own characteristics, created from a series of choices. Even following proven strategies for flourishing, we stumble. We will attend to some advice and neglect others. We try; and keep trying. But the imperfectness of complexity occasionally annoys, angers and saddens; perhaps normal reactions to bothersome reality of imperfection where slips and stumbles are normal. We work through the struggles refining are responses and improving our successes.

Key Definition:

Keep trying this is a is a phrase of encouragement that emphasizes the importance of perseverance and resilience, encouraging individuals to encourages individuals to continue to strive towards goals in the face of difficulty.

Life is Complex

Often writings on well-being point to an ideal—a specific point. An idea singled out and examined. A brief consideration of a single fact of living. Scientific experiments, examining a theory, eliminates the other contributing factors that may convolute the results. Life, conversely, always includes contributing factors.

Our personal experience may seemingly contradict proven paths to wellness; but exceptions don’t disprove the rule; our independent observations just miss the host of other influencers in the equation. Exceptions highlight the importance of considering complexity, deciding between trade-offs and seeking other participating factors—the ninety-year old great uncle who smokes a pack a day doesn’t prove that cigarettes are healthy.

​The self-actualizing life often seems like a final destination. It isn’t. Self-actualizing is a state of being that is built around effort, continually trying to improve life. The act of trying becomes the self-actualizing state. The act of trying is never perfect. We work to improve our efforts.

See Life is Complex for more on this topic

No Absolute Answers So We Keep Trying, Doing Our Best

Few behavior studies give absolute answers. The results are measured in correlations. The study illuminates a correlation between a specific action and the consequence. If scientific experiments, meticulously constructed, can vary because of the unintended inclusion of unknown factors, our personal experiences, muddied with life, can easily mislead, thwarting clear guidance, unmasking connections between action and reward. We must actively seek or we will never find. And when our theory fails, we keep trying.

Personal assessments easily sway to conform to our biases, shaping perceptions to fit what we expect. With genetic predispositions and hidden biases, we swing the mallet to shape our lives. While life is difficult and the plan vague, change is still possible. We can transcend our surrounding environments, shine light on misperceptions and even work around limiting genetics.  But like keeping a misaligned car in the lane, as soon as our hand is off the wheel, the car drifts.

​We modify behaviors against inclinations, continually grappling with our nature. Over time new habits can form, the pull weakens, and we create new standards and trajectories. But even then, the nasty residues from our past reemerges and disrupts plans.

Change Requires Several Characteristics

Several characteristics are necessary to achieve change in the face of difficulties.

Resilience

• Resilience: the ability to bounce back from adversity, cope with stress, and adapt to challenging situations (Robertson & Cooper, 2013).
  1. Emotional Regulation: Managing strong emotions like anger, sadness, and frustration effectively.
  2. Problem-Solving Skills: Identifying and evaluating potential solutions, and then taking action.
  3. Flexibility: Adapting to changing circumstances and finding new ways to approach challenges.
  4. Optimism: Maintaining a hopeful outlook and believing in one’s ability to overcome obstacles (Seligman, 2006).
  5. Social Support: Building and maintaining strong relationships with family, friends, and mentors (Siegel, 2020).

Growth Mindset

• Growth Mindset: This refers a attitude and perspective that prioritizes growth (Dweck, 2007).
  • Belief in Growth: Believing that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work, rather than being fixed traits.
  • Focus on Learning: Viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than as failures.
  • Embracing Challenges: Seeing challenges as opportunities to learn and develop new skills.

Self-Efficacy

• Self-Efficacy: This refers to confidence in one’s ability to face challenges, and find ways to overcome them (Bandura, 1977).
  • Belief in Oneself: Believing in one’s own ability to succeed and overcome challenges.
  • Taking Initiative: Proactively taking steps towards achieving goals and overcoming obstacles.
  • Perseverance: Continuing to strive towards goals despite setbacks and challenges.

Resourcefulness

• Resourcefulness: This refers to utilizing skills, abilities and current resources effectively.
  • Identifying and Utilizing Resources: Effectively identifying and utilizing available resources, such as support systems, financial aid, and community resources.
  • Creativity: Finding innovative solutions to problems and adapting to changing circumstances.

Mindfulness

• Mindfulness: This refers to the practice of purposely focusing on the moment without judgment (Kabat-Zinn, 2013).
  • Being Present: Focusing on the present moment and accepting challenges as they arise.
  • Managing Stress: Developing healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress and anxiety.

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These characteristics are interrelated and work together to help individuals navigate challenges, overcome adversity, and achieve positive change.

Emotions and Change

Emotions play a crucial role in our ability to persevere towards significant goals. Positive emotions like passion, excitement, and hope fuel our motivation and provide the energy to overcome challenges. When we are passionate about a goal, we are more likely to invest the time and effort required to achieve it. The excitement of progress and the anticipation of success further propel us forward. Hope, even in the face of setbacks, allows us to believe in the possibility of eventual success, keeping us motivated to continue striving.

Conversely, negative emotions like frustration, disappointment, and fear can hinder our progress. Frustration can lead to feelings of helplessness and demotivation, making it difficult to maintain focus and effort. Disappointment after setbacks can erode our confidence and make it harder to believe in our ability to succeed. Fear of failure can paralyze us, preventing us from taking the necessary risks to achieve our goals. However, even negative emotions can serve as valuable motivators.

Some feelings, engrained deep in our hearts, may always exist, sparking over-reactions to miniscule events; but to us—when tender spots are poked, the events are never small. We can live with these personal sensitivities. We can accept them. Through acceptance of these emotions, they lose some sting but will still trigger emotions and demand action. Recognizing and acknowledging these emotions, rather than suppressing them, can help us understand the underlying causes of our challenges and develop more effective strategies for overcoming them.

Emotions are an integral part of the goal-pursuit process. By understanding and managing our emotional responses to challenges, we can harness the power of positive emotions to fuel our perseverance and navigate the inevitable setbacks that arise on the path to achieving significant goals.

​Associated Concepts

• Achievement-Goal Theory: This theory provides a psychological framework to measure the effectiveness of goals. It posits that an individual’s beliefs about their abilities and the motivations behind their actions shape their behavior.
• Consistency (A Success Trait): This trait refers to maintaining a regular and steadfast approach to efforts. It includes a sense of discipline and focus that propels individuals forward. Moreover, it helps in building momentum, reinforcing positive habits, and fostering a sense of accountability.
• Behavioral Momentum Theory (BMT): This theory explains why certain behaviors persist despite obstacles, drawing parallels with physical momentum. Reinforced behaviors gain “momentum,” making them resistant to change.
• Purposeful Effort: This concept refers to the commitment to striving for a specific goal, despite facing challenges and obstacles, reflects a determination and resilience that is essential for success.
• Tipping Point: This refers to the critical moment when a small change or series of changes reaches a level that leads to a significant impact or transformation. It can represent the threshold at which a situation, behavior, or decision crosses from one state to another, often resulting in a notable shift or consequence.
• Affective-Reflective Theory (ART): This theory explores how our decisions are influenced by both automatic emotional responses and conscious, deliberate thought. This article delves into the interplay between these two systems and its implications for understanding human behavior, particularly in the context of health and well-being.

A Few Words from Psychology Fanatic

Knowing that our feeling experience may misdirect action from desired paths, we stay strong. Instead of being burdened to correct misguided emotions, we identify constructive action and do it. We just try, continually trying to live, enjoy and experience life, incorporating a few new behaviors, witnessing a few miracles, and engaging with a few others. We do the best that we can.

The few new behaviors we introduce positively impact our futures—not immediately and not dramatically; but they do, slowly accumulating, and push us forward. Right action doesn’t relieve all pains but does increase good moments while simultaneously diminishing the bad.

We stagger in the dark to find something better. We see light in the distance, learning from the knowledge of others. Wisdom gives us a general direction; a loving companion holds our hand and we proceed forward. And when the inevitable trips and stumbles scrape our knees and discourage our souls, we can slow down, look at the stars and marvel at this fantastic, dreadful and breathtaking experience of living.

Last Update: December 4, 2025

References:

Bandura, Albert (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191-215. DOI: 10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
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Dweck, Carol S. (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books. ISBN-10: 2133487514; APA Record: 2006-08575-000
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Kabat-Zinn, Jon (2013). Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Bantam; Rev Updated edition. ISBN-10: 0345536932; APA Record: 2006-04192-000
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Robertson, Ivan; Cooper, Cary L. (2013). Resilience. Stress and Health, 29(3), 175-176. DOI: 10.1002/smi.2512
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Seligman, Martin E. P. (2006). Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. Vintage. ISBN-13: 978-1400078394
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Siegel, Daniel J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. The Guilford Press; 3rd edition. ISBN-10: 1462542751; APA Record: 2012-12726-000
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