I know what it’s like to want to quit.
I mean really quit. That deep-in-your-bones feeling when the effort seems pointless and the reward feels a million miles away. I’ve been there more times than I can count. Stuck in a cycle of bad habits like binge eating and gaming. Feeling lazy and lost. The thought of changing my entire life felt like trying to climb a mountain in flip-flops. Impossible.
But I learned something crucial on that climb. It’s not about one giant leap to the top. It’s about taking one more step. And then another. It’s about persistence.
Persistence isn’t glamorous. It’s the quiet, stubborn refusal to give up when everything in you is screaming to just stop. It’s the engine that drives real change. To help you fuel your own engine I’ve gathered some of the most powerful words on persistence that have helped me.
When You Feel Like Your Effort is Wasted
Sometimes you can work hard and see no results. You’re putting in the time. You’re making sacrifices. But nothing is changing. It’s frustrating and it’s the number one reason people give up.
When I first started my journey to get healthy I felt this constantly. I’d eat well for a week and the scale wouldn’t move. I’d go for a walk and feel just as tired as the day before. It felt pointless. These are the moments when you need to reframe what’s happening. You aren’t failing. You’re learning.
This is where I turn to guys like Thomas Edison. He understood that every “failure” is just a data point. It’s information.
Another truth is that talent and good intentions mean nothing without follow-through. You can be the most gifted person in the world but if you don’t put in the work consistently you’ll be outpaced by someone with less talent but more grit.
Pushing Through the Toughest Moments
There will be days that feel like a battle. Real, gut-wrenching struggle. I remember when I was trying to lose over 110 pounds. I hit a plateau that lasted for weeks. The scale did not move. I was doing everything right but my body just wouldn't respond. I wanted to throw the scale out the window and order a pizza. I felt defeated.
That is what I call “going through hell.” And when you’re there the only way out is forward. You just have to keep going. It’s not about feeling motivated. It’s about being disciplined enough to take the next step even when you don’t feel like it.
This is the essence of persistence. It’s not about never falling. I fell down constantly. I had bad days. I slipped up. The key is that you have to get up one more time than you fall. Every single time.
10 Quotes to Fuel Your Persistence
Here are ten powerful reminders to keep you going when you feel like stopping. Read them. Write them down. Stick them on your mirror. Let them be the voice in your head that says “keep going.”
- “It’s not that I’m so smart it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
- “If you are going through hell keep going.” – Winston Churchill
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
- “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge
- “Fall down seven times stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
- “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washington
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
- “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
- “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
The True Foundation of Persistence
For me the ultimate source of persistence comes from my faith. Self-improvement is great but at a certain point I had to ask myself why I was doing it. Was it just for me? For my own pride?
Strengthening my Christian Orthodox faith gave my struggle a deeper purpose. I wasn’t just losing weight or quitting bad habits for myself. I was trying to become a better man a better steward of the body and mind God gave me.
The verse from Galatians became my anchor. It reminds me that the effort has a purpose beyond what I can see right now. There will be a harvest. It’s a promise. This shifts persistence from a chore I have to do into a faithful act I get to do. It’s not just about gritting my teeth and pushing through. It’s about trusting that the effort matters in a way that’s bigger than me.
That perspective changes everything. It turns a miserable struggle into a meaningful journey.
Persistence is a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets. You don’t start by climbing a mountain. You start by putting on your shoes. You celebrate that small win. Then you take one step. You can do this.
What’s one small thing you can persist in today?
