Persistence is perhaps the most important of the thinking skills necessary for success. It simply means sticking with a problem or task and not giving up when things get hard. Persistence can mean solving one problem in school, solving an overall problem outside of school, or completing a long term problem solving situation. Persistence means re-evaluating and re-attacking that problem, rather than saying, “it’s too hard, I can’t do it.” Persistence means continual searching for another way to deal with that life problem, instead of saying, “I guess there is no answer and I’ll have to take things as they are.” Persistence means sticking to that long term project day by day, rather than saying, “I can do this another day, or it’s really not worth it, I think I’ll give up on this.”

Check out this example:

1831-failed in business
1832-defeated in election for legislature
1833-failed again in business
1834-elected to legislature
1838-defeated in election for Speaker
1840-defeated in election for elector
1843-defeated in election to Congress
1846-elected to Congress
1848-defeated in election to Congress
1855-defeated in election to Senate
1858-defeated in election for Vice President
1858-defeated in election to Senate
1860-elected President of the United States

Abraham Lincoln