Keys To Success – Diligence
Doing what it takes involves planning, initiative, determination and persistence. If you and I are going to win in this thing called life, we must be diligent to pursue those things which are vital and important to us. Diligence is not a word that many of us enjoy hearing about, but if we are going to fulfill our goals and experience the joy of a dream fulfilled, we will have to develop the habit of being diligent. The word diligent, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means to be constant and careful. A working definition is, to give constant, careful steady effort toward a goal or purpose. Diligence is really the mark of a successful person.
One of the greatest tragedies in life is the fact that many people, gifted people, talented individuals, who were and are capable of accomplishing astounding feats which would bless the world, sit idly by, some have died, waiting for their opportunity of success to come, not knowing that it came many times and passed them by. At the same time, there are people who, instead of waiting for opportunity, make their own opportunity, by diligent pursuit of a dream worth having.
If you really want to see how it feels to accomplish a goal, be constant and careful to work at it daily, relentlessly, until it comes to pass. You can have what you want. You can possess your promised land. You can do what God has set in your heart to do. You can make a difference in the world around you. You can write that book, do that album, get that dream job, build that business, become that preacher or teacher, attend that college or university, or accomplish what you put your heart to, if you will but apply yourself and keep it going until you experience success.
Here are a few things to consider concerning the diligent soul:
1. A diligent person is not lazy or laid back. Procrastination has no place in their lives. To procrastinate means to continually put something off, for another time, that you can do and get done today. Much of the time we tend to put off things because we do not feel like doing them. This is laziness. Then at other times, we put off things because we believe that we cannot do them. A good word of advice would be to delegate that part of your goals to someone else who enjoys doing it. And make sure you pay them too.
2. Diligent people are focused. They set their minds on their goals and dreams and refuse to be deterred. They understand the importance of sticking to their plans, regardless of what others say or do. And they protect their focus, even saying no to those things which are not in line with their pursuit. They will deny themselves passing pleasures, to maintain their focus. They are responsibility driven, not pleasure driven, because they understand that if they deny themselves some pleasure now, to stick to their goals and responsibilities, the time will come when they can have all the pleasure they desire.
3. Diligent people protect their focus. They not only stay focus. They refuse to have anyone close to them who may try and deter them from their focus. They are careful about who they allow in their inner circle. And they will cut people from their inner circle, if they attempt to disturb and remove them from their goals. They are not mean. They are not ugly. They are simply focused.
If you desire to accomplish anything worthwhile, it would do you good to study the subject of diligence and apply the principles of diligence to your life. It is vital to your success.
