Persistence is one of the most common qualities of great achievers. Great
achievers often achieve great things simply because they refuse to give up.
Sure, other qualities play a role, perhaps a more important role. But when
all other things are equal, when all those vying for success are
basically on the same level in other regards, persistence will usually
cause one person to rise above the rest. As the others give up and quit
the race, one by one, the guy who simply refuses to go away will
eventually prevail. He will inevitably be the one who breaks the ribbon
and takes home the first-place trophy.

The longer you stay in the race, even if you aren’t the fastest or the most
highly conditioned, the more likely you are to prevail. The more times
you swing at the ball, even if you aren’t the most power¬ful hitter in
the game, the more likely you are to eventually hit one out of the park.
Success often comes, not through skill or ambition or even ingenuity,
but through simple, old-fashioned guts.

I don’t have to tell you that your climb to the top of the ladder won’t
always be easy. You already know that. But what you may not always
consider is that persistence pays off. Sometimes you just have to plant
your feet, dig in, and refuse to be moved. No matter how much you may
have planned, things are going to happen along the way that you could
never have envisioned and which will throw you off stride. No matter how
much passion you may possess, people and circumstances will cause your
passion to rise and fall. No matter how strong your vision may be,
distractions will raise their ugly heads. In the end, you just need to
stick around, no matter how hard it gets and no matter how long it
takes.