We love stories of overnight success. The lucky break. The big opportunity that changes everything.
But more often than not, what looks like good fortune is really the result of sheer persistence. The refusal to quit. The willingness to keep going when most would stop.
Here’s why:
Luck favours those in motion. The more you show up, the more chances you create. Persistence increases the probability of so-called lucky moments.
Obstacles filter out the half-hearted. Every setback eliminates people who are not committed. Those who persist long enough often find themselves alone in the field.
Failure isn’t final. The most successful people are not immune to failure; they just outlast it. They tweak, adapt, and keep moving forward.
Consistency compounds. Small efforts, repeated daily, turn into expertise, connections, and results that look like luck to outsiders.
The story is written after the fact. When we hear of success, we often miss the years of invisible work that came before it.
Persistence in Action
J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before Harry Potter got published.
Thomas Edison made 10,000 failed attempts before creating a working light bulb.
Colonel Sanders pitched his chicken recipe to over 1,000 restaurants before anyone said yes.
Success often looks lucky - after it happens. But behind nearly every stroke of fortune is someone who simply refused to quit.
Stubborn persistence isn’t just resilience: it is strategic and tactical.