Francis Crick was the recipient of a jointly awarded Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for his work in discovering the structure of DNA. Paul Berg another well noted scientist remembers Francis Crick as being wrong most of the time. However, he noted also, that Francis had 10 ideas for every one that was truly brilliant. Francis had imagination and persistence.
How does a person become persistent? How can we become better at pressing on even in difficult times, and crossing barriers as they arise? Here are three habits that can help you increase your persistence:
1. Use your daily agenda: If you want to be persistent about something, it needs to be a part of your daily routine. Add it to your agenda. Make small steps every day in the area of your focus.
2. Reflect on your progress: Daily reflection can keep you see how and when you need to adjust to continue moving forward. Not every day will be successful. Persistence requires working through failure. Reflection is the tool that lets you see failure as opportunity.
3. Align the why and the how: It is nearly impossible to be persistent in an area that is not in alignment with your purpose and your passion. Trying to do something everyday that you do not enjoy or does not fulfill some need inside of yourself will lead to more frustration and less satisfaction.
Napoleon Hill wrote, “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” Being persistent requires learning a new definition of failure.
Francis died in 2004 at the age of 88. Until his death he continued to research theoretical neurobiology attempting to advance the scientific study of human consciousness. According to Christof Koch, Francis was editing a manuscript on his death bed.