We’ve made it to the final decision in the book The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews.
This is the Persistent Decision.
A quote from the book:
“Your success with the other six Decisions rests on your ability and willingness to embrace and master the Persistent Decision. To persist without exception means to ultimately ensure success in your endeavors.”
It’s the ability to persist, to keep going, that will bring us to success.
If success hasn’t happened, it’s just that it hasn’t happened yet. There’s more work to be done. We may need to change tactics, but we don’t give up.
Andy talks about the phrase, “I will persist without exception.” He points out that we have a tendency to leave off the last part of the phrase – “without exception”.
We’ve all gotten to a place where we can’t see a way forward. Nothing we’ve tried is working and the amount of rejection seems overwhelming and we’re not sure where to go from here.
That’s where “without exception” comes into play.
What if you did know…?
He explains that if you get to a point where you’re ready to give up and don’t know what else to try, say this to yourself:
“I know you don’t know, but if you did know the next move you would make, what would you do?”
I LOVE this question from Andy!
I’ve used this question in my own life so many times. I used to work with a business coach who would ask me this as well. And I’ve asked it of my kids when they’ve gotten stuck.
The question opens the mind to possibilities and I’ve never failed to come up with an answer, even though things seemed to be at a dead end just a few minutes before.
Faith or Fear
We’re often driven by either faith or fear.
Faith leads us forward.
Fear traps us in place.
Andy says, “Fear is imagination run amok. What you fear doesn’t even exist – it is the misuse of the creative imagination God has placed in you.”
Focus on “Yet”
Whenever you feel like you want to give up, reframe the situation with the word “yet”.
You haven’t reached the goal yet. But you will reach it in time.
Pushing Past Rejections
Andy tells the story of his book, The Traveler’s Gift. It took him three years and fifty-one rejections before it was published. And then it hit the New York Times bestseller list and was the Good Morning America Book Club selection.
Of course, because the seventh decision is the Persistent Decision, Andy couldn’t give up!
When you’re in the midst of all the rejections, when your dream hasn’t happened yet, it can be hard to continue to push forward.
But the only way to find success is to keep going! It just hasn’t happened yet!
The Persistent Decision is the Key to the Other Six Decisions
“Committing to the Persistent Decision means you accept responsibility. You constantly seek wisdom. You never stop being a person of action. You have a decided heart, without exception. You choose to be happy every single day. You greet each day with a forgiving spirit. Every single one of the other six Decisions hinges on your acceptance of the seventh: “I will persist without exception.” It’s the one that brings them all together.”
What You Do Matters
Everything we do makes a difference in the world. We may never know how much of a difference, but our actions do impact others.
All the positive actions you put out into the world go to work in the lives of others!
I will leave you with this video of Andy Andrews explaining the Butterfly Effect, which demonstrates how our positive actions move through time, expanding the benefits.