Are you persevering or being obstinate?

There are times when perseverance comes at too-high a cost.

THINK ON IT: Are you persevering or being obstinate?

“Failure is not an option." That famous line from the movie Apollo 13 expresses a core cultural value: Never. Ever. Give up.

But unless we stop to assess our pursuits in our business and our personal lives, we'll succumb to perseverance-at-all-costs thinking. To be sure, perseverance is an admirable quality. Every worthwhile pursuit will face resistance of some kind that only those most perseverant will overcome.

But what looks like perseverance is something entirely different when we're on a path that has diminishing returns, particularly if the most rational reason to continue is that we've been on it for so long already. That's simply obstinance and it has no place in thinking rightly about our business.

When you examine the investments you are making to achieve your business vision, are you persevering toward a more probable outcome? Or are you being obstinate, pursuing an idea that is not as promising as it once was? If so, it may be time to find that more probable pursuit in which to invest your talent. 

“Persistent people are able to visualize the idea of light at the end of the tunnel when others can’t see it. At the same time, the smartest people are realistic about not imagining a light when there isn’t any." — Seth Godin 

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