What is the key to success in life can be seen as a complicated question. But it doesn’t have to be. Scientists and mathematicians show us every day that it’s possible to reduce the most complicated phenomena into simple equations. In this article, I will not offer you an equation, but I will suggest a simple answer to this question.

There is a multitude of answers to what is the key to success. Some will say it’s determination, others will say it’s to know yourself. Still others will say it’s to learn to control your subconscious mind.

All these factors are important of course in the quest for success. But I think that if the answer can be summarized into one single word, it’s persistence. All the qualities that I mentioned earlier rest on persistence.

The best-selling author of the famous book, Think & Grow Rich made the following statement: “Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence”.

Without constant persistence, wishes, desires and even definite plans will not be realized.

This has been my experience.

Although I’m well educated and I would dare say, intelligent and determined, it took me more than 10 years to realize some of my biggest wishes, after going through wrong turns, dead ends, and even some failures. I finally made it because I would not give up.

Another great saying by Napoleon Hill is: “Failure cannot cope with persistence”.

Of course some people may take less time to achieve success while for others it may take longer. This is because beside having all the required character traits such as determination, definiteness of purpose, enthusiasm, etc. We think that we must be in the right environment at the right time, as the popular saying goes.

But in fact “ most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be “just right”. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” Napoleon Hill

The latter is a very valuable advice that goes along with persistence. But being persistent and going through conditions that may not seem right, or by going through failures, we learn to become more discerning, to make better decisions and choices. As a result then we will come across and/or find better tools and solutions to the question what is the key to success. .