“I’ve found that when you think it may be time to quit, that is about the time most people decide to quit. And, they do. So, the difference is that if you keep going when others are quitting, you have a better chance.” James Dyson, founder of Dyson vacuum cleaners.

If you are trying to achieve something meaningful, it won’t be easy. Try as you may, there likely will be setbacks and moments of discouragement that cause a pause.

What Dyson describes is the habit of persistence. The cue or trigger is the moment of discouragement. When he encounters the cue, his routine is to take it up a notch. His effort contrasts with the more common routine of retreat. His experience is that persistence in the face of discouragement works.

Practically, his method will sometimes be foolhardy. I bet there are times where he persisted where stopping would have been a better choice.

But, his record shows that when he looks back, he was glad he kept trying. His persistence was favored.

What’s your routine when discouragement happens? Should you change your routine?