Building Perseverance

Short and long term goals demand dedication. For athletes, perseverance is one of the keys that opens the way to ultimate goals.
Building Perseverance

Last update: 05 May, 2019

Perseverance is a trait that any athlete needs to be successful. In our post today, we’ll explain different ways to build your perseverance. Keep on reading!

Having perseverance means being firm, dedicated and consistent in any project or situation. Athletes need to build a strong level of perseverance to progress, improve and meet goals.

The importance of perseverance for athletes

Throughout their careers, athletes march through many difficult situations. Lacking the strength to confront these hurdles can have a serious toll on athletic performance. Thus, building perseverance is an absolute must for any athlete.

Fighting spirit for perseverance

Spirit plays an essential role in building perseverance. How you feel will impact the way you face your obstacles. If you have a weak, insecure or fragile spirit, giving up might seem like a tempting option.

You need to nourish your fighting spirit. Gain self-value and confidence to step up against your next battle. No matter what happens, know that you won’t give up. You need to know what you can do and use that to work towards your goals.

Flowers don’t bloom in a day

Most athletes have career expectations. They compare themselves with other athletes and expect to follow a set path to success. If you want to build your perseverance, start by understanding that there isn’t one set plan.

Just think of plants. Not every seed is the same; they don’t grow or flower in the same way nor at the same time. In other words, just because something takes longer to achieve than you expected doesn’t mean that it’s wrong. It’s in that moment when you need to be patient and stay on track.

Don’t mull over negative thoughts

Sometimes we sabotage our own efforts to build perseverance. It’s usually the fruit of over-worrying about something that could happen, lowering our guard and giving way to discouragement. Don’t let negative thoughts flood your mind and shake your peace.

negative thoughts 1

The mind is powerful. If you’re not mentally strong, you won’t be physically strong either. The imbalance can make you stagger towards your goals. Keep your mind free from unnecessary hurdles that hinder you from reaching your goals.

Dedication is essential for perseverance

For solid perseverance, athletes should have a clear sense of dedication. Lacking dedication leads athletes to inconsistency, which eats away at their perseverance. In other words, the relationship that an athlete has with their sport is extremely important for training perseverance and reaching goals.

The dedication also includes staying focused on what you want and keeping your eyes on your goal at all times. Compromising yourself by playing other sports as well can dilute your dedication; you should aim to strive towards just one goal.

Mistakes are just mistakes

Always remember that before the athlete, you are human. Making mistakes is normal. What you shouldn’t accept is giving up simply because things aren’t turning out as you expected them to.

When you make a mistake, tearing yourself down isn’t productive. If you want to improve your perseverance, accept mistakes and learn from them. They’ll help you gain experience and better understand the details that you need to hone.

perseverance 2

Love what you do

Nothing works better to strengthen perseverance than to learn to love what you do more and more each day. Pursuing a physical activity that you don’t enjoy, or that makes you uncomfortable, will only turn your gain into torment. On the other hand, loving the sport that you do will turn strength, dedication, and consistency into true pleasures.

To summarize, perseverance calls for hard work, discipline, and maturity. Persevering bears good fruit for the road ahead. Star athletes have paved the way, showing that even the wildest goals can become a reality with perseverance.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. In Canadian Psychology (Vol. 49, pp. 182–185). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012801
  • Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2004). How to Become a Persevering Exerciser? Providing a Clear, Future Intrinsic Goal in an Autonomy-Supportive Way. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology26(2), 232–249. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.26.2.232

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.