Persistence can be either a virtue or a vice, depending on the context. If one can persist in the right direction, it can lead to long-term success. This is what is known as constructive stubbornness. Experts point out that there are two habits that may seem stubborn but can actually indicate whether a person will succeed in the long run.
American psychologist Mark Travers wrote in Psychology Today that psychology research shows that the habits most indicative of long-term success are often not the flashy ones. They are the habits that people can maintain even when motivation is lacking and progress stalls. In essence, these habits reflect a form of “persistence.”
In psychological literature, there are two such habits that show remarkable consistency. These habits do not require extraordinary talent or rely on special circumstances. They simply require persistence over time.
Travers mentioned a study from 2007 that introduced the concept of “grit,” defined as the unwavering perseverance and passion towards long-term goals. The study found that in various groups including Ivy League students, West Point cadets, and participants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, “grit” consistently emerged as a strong predictor of achievement, surpassing intelligence and natural talent.
The most notable finding was not that those with grit were more talented, but that they were more likely to persevere, especially when things no longer seemed exciting.
This is closely related to research on “distress tolerance” in psychology. Distress tolerance refers to the ability to withstand uncomfortable psychological states (including boredom) without instinctively avoiding them.
A study from 2022 showed that distress tolerance is an important academic skill because cultivating genuine expertise often requires enduring long periods of work that lack a sense of achievement or stimulation. Even when baseline abilities are similar, students who have learned to tolerate these mundane processes perform better than those who cannot.
This implies that the most productive individuals are not necessarily the most motivated, but rather those who are better at dealing with boredom.
Whenever someone gives up on a project because it is no longer interesting, they are essentially yielding ground to those who are willing to persist. The ability to endure boredom and not take it as a signal to quit is a competitive advantage that is obvious yet often overlooked.
Travers mentioned a second habit closely related to the first but with a different focus. If the first habit is related to “grit,” then the second habit is related to “choice” – specifically, making deliberate decisions to postpone immediate rewards in order to achieve more meaningful returns in the future.
Most people became familiar with this concept through psychologist Walter Mischel’s famous “marshmallow experiment” conducted at Stanford University. In the experiment, preschool children were given a simple choice – to eat a snack immediately or wait a few minutes to receive two snacks.
Follow-up studies by Mischel indicated that children who were able to wait in the experiment often performed better in various indicators years later, covering academic achievements to social skills.
A study from 2019 showed a significant correlation between persistence and professional success. Indicators of professional success included not only income, job satisfaction, and occupational reputation, but also behaviors such as engaging in continuous career development and maintaining a positive attitude towards lifelong learning.
Importantly, this correlation persisted even after controlling for cognitive abilities and standard personality traits. The habit of choosing the more difficult and longer path can predict outcomes that cannot be explained solely by intelligence.
These studies collectively reveal that the ability to delay gratification is not an either-or trait. It is more like an orientation formed through practice, establishing a value hierarchy and turning it into a default mode of behavior through repetition.
Apart from these two habits, author and organizational psychologist Adam Grant previously shared 11 habits of successful individuals, which are also worth considering.
Grant stated that he has spent his life studying highly successful individuals and has identified 11 simple habits that these individuals engage in daily, including seeking advice rather than feedback, pursuing excellence rather than perfection, and evaluating the credibility of news sources.