With so many distractions around me, at times I have found it difficult to stay on track. We live in a society of instant gratification; if anything takes too long to develop it is considered a failure. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an overnight success. What people do not realize is that every great athlete or pop star invests countless hours of hard work, struggle and determination to reach the top of their game. In the words of Josh Billings “Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”

Here are three necessary steps to ensure you stick to something to get the results you desire:

1) Persistence Pays Off: According to Thomas Edison “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Jack Grimm’s 1980–83 expedition is a prime example of this. His search for the Titanic was cancelled due to bad weather and shortage of funds. He later discovered that their Deep Tow had actually passed within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the wreck. If they had just continued their efforts a little longer, they would have found the wreck instead of Robert Ballard in 1985. Continue to do things daily, be it big or small, to make your dreams a reality.

2) Practice Patience: A farmer will never plant his seeds expecting the crop to appear the next day for harvest. You have to consistently water and nurture you seeds. Be like the bamboo farmer in achieving your goal. After watering bamboo seeds for about 5 years straight, bulbs will finally appear out of the ground. Then, within six weeks the bamboo tree can grow up to 90 feet tall ready to be harvested. If you do not put the time in, you will never get your harvest.

3) Review The Big Picture: When things are not going the way you plan look at the big picture as a compass for success. Again, you can learn from the bamboo farmer who, knowing that his efforts were not in vein, watered his land for 5 years with no sign of a crop. In times of doubt, the Big Picture will determine why you are patiently working and waiting for your opportunity to mature and give birth to your desired success.

What are you willing to do to make your dreams a reality? How long are you willing to work and push past your fears and doubts? To answer these questions you must have persistence. Do everything possible to consistently contribute to your dream. Patience is the key and last but not least, always remember the big picture — it is the “why” to your dreams!