The Power of Persistence

Well believe it or not, my blogs are usually inspired by something. Its usually as simple as something I hear, read, or see. This one is no different. I was speaking with my sister about her current job and how she had to work so many other jobs, some of which were very far from what she really wanted to do, but she kept at it and now she is doing something she really enjoys. So I would like to start by giving you one of my favorite quotes:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

-- Calvin Coolidge

Many people would say that Thomas Edison tried and failed over 3000 times to make an incandescent light bulb. Edison would tell you that he simply found over 3000 ways not to make a light bulb. Abraham Lincoln lost 8 elections before becoming one of the most revered presidents in history. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. If any of these people would have given up and not believed in themselves things would have turned out a lot differently.

There is no doubt that a lot of variables go into success. Everyone has talents, and there is no doubt that education is valuable in increasing your chances of success. I think what President Coolidge was trying to say is that no one is successful unless they have an attitude to match.

I think every day we are faced with opportunities to give in, quit, or take the easy route. Some days there are even bigger opportunities, and the bigger it is the harder it is to resist. For me I always keep my eye on the prize. I remind myself of the things that I want to accomplish, big and small, and charge myself to keep working towards those goals. This is something that I know I would not have been able to do a couple years ago, but with the experiences I had over the last couple years I’ve been able to look at things more “big picture” and not get so bogged down in hour by hour, day by day.

I think something that is important is to make sure that the things you are doing and focusing on are indeed helping to accomplish your big picture goals. While I do realize that in some ways it is very idealistic to think this way, and I really am not usually one that is big into having a “goal sheet” or anything like that, but I definitely have an idea of some of the things that I want to accomplish. I think it is different for everyone, and everyone has to find his or her own motivation. For some it is money, for some it is fear of failure, but I think the best motivation is nothing about security, and is more about fulfillment.

Now, while the examples that I gave earlier are very extreme, it is a great way to realize that it is true. I often times hear people say “I wish I did…” or “If I had only done…” So I’ve tried to be mindful of that and take on the challenges that come. I will persist.

Dare to dream of your great success. Become intimate with those things which deeply motivate you and regularly work toward the realization of that mission.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Control the Controllables

“Turn off Fox News, turn off AM radio, stop yelling at the weather, focus on what you can control!” said Dr. Steve Johnson, extension specialist from Iowa State University, at a conference for Corn Growers put on by Wyffels Hybrids. One of his main themes was to “Control the Controllables.” He was talking about how there is so much going on in the world and with their farms that they cannot control, and they need to acknowledge that. Instead, he encouraged them all to focus on the things that they could control, and then to become masters of them.

While I do very much appreciate the root of his thoughts in relation to farming, and can certainly relate them to our farm back home, I think that everyone could apply this simple mindset to at least some parts of their lives. It really is a great piece of advice in my opinion. Although, I think that this could be interpreted to mean you should be a hermit and shut yourself off from the world, which is a little extreme. I think his point is more that you should focus and spend your time thinking about things that you can control. I think we all need to be aware of what is going on in the news, and contrary to Dr. Johnson I do think we need to pay attention to, and participate in politics, but at the same time, not get too caught up in it.

I know that I, all too many times, get very caught up in a lot of things that I literally have zero control of. I get frustrated with things that I will never understand, and in the end all it turns out to be is wasted energy. I still don’t understand, and it still doesn’t make sense. Now, if I had nothing to do, and nothing else I could focus on to improve myself then there would be no harm in any of this. That simply is not the case however. There are plenty of things that are well within my control that I can focus to improve and understand.

Bonus: There was something else said at that conference that for some reason struck my attention. One speaker was talking about forming business partnerships and being ethical and honest in business dealings. He said, “Make sure you aren’t going to end up having to hire your Paul Bearers.” It kind of sets you back at first, but it really is a simple message. It doesn’t matter what possessions, or how much money you have when all is said and done. You never see a U-Haul being pulled behind the hearse. There is no reason to sacrifice friendships and the respect of people over a stupid business deal or a few bucks here and there. As I have said before, do things the right way and to the best of your ability, and good things will happen.

What A Ride.

Well the summer working season is drawing to a close. The time when in the past few years I would be finishing up my internship, preparing my final presentations, and then getting ready to move back to school for the fall. This year, however, is different. My job is moving into full swing and we are preparing ourselves for what looks to be an earlier than usual harvest and a busy fall. So, I figured, what better time for me to reflect on my four years at the University of Illinois.

I mentioned it in my first blog, but I really had no predisposition for where I wanted to go to school. I knew I wanted to study agriculture, and I knew I wanted to go to a land grant university. After touring the University of Illinois and Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity I made the decision to do my schooling in Champaign-Urbana and now I don’t know why I ever even thought about it. I had a truly awesome time and learned a LOT.

I had a multitude of experience both in and out of the classroom. I would say and still do, even if it is to the dismay of some of my professors, that I learned more outside of the classroom than I did in. This was not a function of bad classes as much as it was that I was involved in a lot and there is so much to be gained from those experiences. “What a ride you have had…” that is what someone that I worked with a lot told me at the end of my senior year, and it is true. I decided I would point out a few of my biggest takeaways from those four years.

Don’t sweat the small stuff, but appreciate the little things

It’s pretty easy to let things get to you, and often times they are things that are not worth your time. For the most part the best thing to do is to learn from it and move on. Admittedly, I was not always the best at this, but I would usually catch myself in the midst of it and be able to settle myself down and move on. Another thing that I came to realize is that all too many times I would get lost in all of my school work, emails, Facebook, etc. and would lose perspective of what was happening around me. You never know when or what is going to turn into one of your favorite memories of college. So, when it’s your friend’s birthday and you have a test the next day, take the time to go have a beer with them. It will mean something to them, and it will keep you sane.

People, people, people

You can’t do it alone, and it is definitely not as much fun on your own, so pay attention to the people around you, and take care of them. Everyone has something to offer, and even though respect is something that should be earned, everyone is entitled to your attention. I was on a few executive boards, and worked with a lot of different people and I learned something from all of them. I think the more experience I gained the more I started to pay attention to people’s tendencies and the way that they work, and in the end the more I was able to learn from them.

Trust yourself

Its pretty simple really, if you put your mind to it you can do it. It might not be easy but that is ok. The only way to improve on your weaknesses is to embrace them and challenge them. Obviously there are exceptions to this rule, and it is also important to know your limitations, but a healthy disregard for the impossible never hurt anyone.

Now that I have graduated, I feel like a freshman again. I am going into an industry with about as much credibility as Illinois has in budget surplus. I am just another “hot shot” college graduate that thinks he knows it all, and once again I have realized that I have so much to learn. I’ll admit, some days it is hard to know what to do, but I think I can easily relate it back to my freshman year at school. I didn’t know anyone, or anything, but I just worked at it and it eventually worked out great. I think the most important thing for me to do now is listen, learn, and work hard. I am a believer that if you do things the right way and to the best of your ability, things will work out. I know that eventually things will start to make more sense and things will start to become easier. Until then, I’m just going to have to work my way through the growing pains.