By Norm Bettencourt

NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE, TALENT
WILL NOT, NOTHING IS MORE COMMON THAN UNSUCCESSFUL MEN WITH
TALENT. - Charles Swindoll

Persistence is a state of mind and is a direct result of habit.
Your are the master of your own fate. Persistence is the key to
your success in the ring and in life in general. Nothing beats
persistence. The most common cause of failure is the habit of
quitting when you are overtaken by “temporary defeat”. Most
people quit just steps away towards obtaining there goal, not
realizing how close there where if they just hung in there. You
are in control of your destiny because you control your
thoughts. You choose all the thoughts that enter your mind. So
when you think you can’t revisit a former victory that you had.
Every obstacle is just a stepping stone towards your success in
the ring and outside in the real world, if you choose to learn
from your mistakes and persist. Ask yourself honestly how bad
you want to achieve that goal i.e. title belt. Here are some
tips on gaining persistence in your life.

© Knowing what you want is the first and most important step.
© Have a strong motive and remind yourself of it everyday.
© Have an intense desire to obtain your goal.
© Believe in yourself that you WILL achieve your goal.
© Gain knowledge from your team members such as coaches and
conditioners who will help and push you to become the best
fighter you can be.

“I AM THE MASTER OF MY FATE, I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL.”-
William Henley

Take an honest look at where you stand with persistence in your
fight career and what you need to do to be the best MMA fighter
you can be. Talk to people who have gone through those same
obstacles and overcame them and ask how they did it. Read
biographies on your favorite fighter’s and their obstacles to
put perspective on the fact that everyone goes through
“temporary defeat”. Remember it’s only temporary it’s your
choice if you want to give up and make it into a failure.

About the Author: Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self
Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for
mind, body & spirit. Visit http://www.tactselfdefense.com