Because Genius is often just Persistence in Disguise…

I have a PhD. For those who like detail, I earned it for my research into the theological method of Stanley J Grenz and just as he worked to revision evangelical theology, my thesis attempts to revision some of his work. But this post is not about that – did I hear a collective sigh of relief? But it does have a point – a simple one. People have often said to me, “Gosh, you have a PhD. Are you are genius? You must be. That’s so hard to do.” My reply is simple: “Absolutely not. But I am more persistent than most people. And often what people think is genius is simply persistence in disguise. It’s about staying the course, working through setbacks, and not giving up.”

And that’s what I’d like us to think about today. The benefits of persisting, and seeing a journey through.

Now it’s always as well to acknowledge the counter to any argument. Yes, there are times to give up, and there are also times to be nimble and to make adjustments. Yes, if you are doing the wrong thing, persisting will only compound the damage. And yes, there is an art to knowing when to persist and when to give up.

For all that, resilience and being willing to persist are often cited as two qualities closely linked to success. There is a good reason for that. Wanting to do good or to be successful is not enough. You have to keep going even when it’s tough. Brent Gleeson calls it being willing to “embrace the suck“.

Have you ever said, “I will get around to that. It’s just that my motivation levels are a little low at present, but it will come. I’ll get onto it then”?

Here’s the thing. There is no motivation fairy! Motivation comes from doing, not from procrastination. When we bridge the chasm between procrastination and doing, motivation starts rolling in. Or more specifically, when we start to feel the satisfaction that comes from getting into the game, instead of talking about the game, motivation levels notch up.

But how do we persevere when the task ahead feels ho hum and boring?

My PhD kicks in again. Do you know how much time PhD students spend checking that references are correct, that sentences make sense or that data is correctly entered? It’s mind numbingly dull, but I found that I’d do it during my brain dead times – those periods when you are really tired and creative work feels like it’s just too hard. It’s at those moments that you say, “I can down tools and do nothing, or check up 20 references.” Tedious though the latter is, it is the sort of thing you can do when your brain is operating at 25%, and when it’s done you have the satisfaction of ticking another task off the list. It’s rather a waste to do chores like that when your brain is in full swing – a squandering of the creative possibilities that open during those times.

Should we find motivation from the reward at the end, or from the milestones we reach along the way?

I guess the answer is both. The writer of Hebrews acknowledges that a portrait of the reward helped Jesus to keep going: “Jesus… who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Heb 12:2). There is no suggestion that Jesus enjoyed the cross, but he was able to focus on the “after the cross” time, and the joy that would flow from his extraordinary sacrifice. But he also took pauses along the way… so much so that the killjoys of his day accused him of being a bit of a party animal – perhaps spurred along by his opening miracle of turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). Strangely, we are most productive when we remember to take some pauses along the way.

Some will be reading this sceptically. You might think of a really persistent person (and perhaps that person is you), but with the best will in the world you wouldn’t attach the genius word to them, or even the successful word. The nuance we need to add is that its not simply persistence that wins the day, its persistence with the right things. And there’s the rub! How do we know what the right things are?

Simon Sinek is best known for his insistence that we always start with why. It’s a simple principle, but it yields a rich reward. Knowing the why provides 70% of the answer to the “what to persist with” question. When you know your why, mountains can be climbed. When you don’t, even a minor gradient is too difficult.

Galatians 6:9 gives wise counsel: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” If we do not give up… It’s not automatic. Many do give up. But genius is often just persistence in disguise. So if you are clear about your why, don’t give up. And at “the proper time” you will reap a harvest. And remember, the proper time is not usually 10 minutes after starting…

Nice chatting…

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