The Secret to Tenacity: The Power of 10

Many times in our search to understand critical concepts for personal and business success we seek outside resources and fail to look from within. Tenacity is a great example, because within the word tenacity is the number ten – 10.

If we define tenacity is the ability to "stick to it when things get tough" as Chuck Norris states, then the real question is how many times will you stick to it? Is a couple of times good enough? Possibly, by having a minimum benchmark to keep you going forward, to keep you persevering during difficult times, might just be the solution that you need.
Remember, the old adage "Count to 10" before losing your temper or saying something that you might regret. Using this paradigm will help to strengthen your own tenacity to overcome those existing barriers that may be preventing you from achieving business success to personal success.

For example, in business everyone must call potential clients or prospects. After a couple of tries, leaving voice mails or messages with the gatekeeper and with no return phone calls, do you give up? What would happen if you made a conscious decision to call this person at least 10 times?

Another way business owners get business is by speaking at local events from chambers of commerce to civic organizations. If one speech fails to deliver any interest, do you give up? Why not make 10 speeches before determining your next course of action?

A third way business owners increase sales is through referrals. If you went to 10 clients or centers of influence and asked for at least one to three referrals, would you probably secure at least one solid referral?

Just imagine what would happen if you consistently applied the Power of 10 to all of your actions? How much would your business grew if you made 10 more calls each day, meet with 10 more prospects each week or mailed 10 introductory letters each month? Would such tenacity be beneficial for your business as well as for your own self-esteem?

By using the Power of 10 self-fulfilling prophecy where you are in control of your own destiny. Henry Ford once wrote: "Whether you think that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right."

The choice is yours to be tenacious towards success or to be tenacious towards failure. And for me, both personally and professionally, failure is not an option.