Two keys to a child’s happiness: Willpower and perseverance

We live in a society where achieving anything appears easy. Where everything seems affordable, and people can get everything they want with a click of a mouse. Where we seek instant reward but talk little about error, frustration or effort. This misunderstood success leads one to think that we can achieve things without putting our soul into it, and that strokes of luck determine what one is capable of achieving or not. For families, when raising a child, effort and perseverance should become the backbone of their education. Teach them that their success in life will not depend on their ability to accumulate content or procedures, but rather on their ability to work hard and not give up when things get complicated.

Willpower is the ability to focus our attention and effort on something to achieve a goal. The habit that allows a person to move forward with perseverance when things get difficult, when a setback or a bad result sends their motivation plummeting to rock bottom. Willpower is a force that brings you closer to what you want, that deafens excuses and gives you the power to achieve what you don’t have thanks to work. Perseverance provides stability and resistance in the face of setbacks, confidence in oneself and also in others, and large doses of self-esteem.

From a very young age, a child must learn to make an effort to get what they want because throughout their life, they will have to face numerous uncomfortable and complicated situations that will make them doubt their abilities. A child who integrates perseverance and willpower into their daily life will grow by building a positive self-image and will be able to overcome the stumbling blocks in their path. They will ask for help when they need it without feeling ashamed, and will understand that mistakes are an essential part of the learning process.

On the contrary, a child who does not develop perseverance and ability to put in effort will find it difficult to tolerate frustration and understand that mistakes are an essential part of learning. They will tend to blame others for their mistakes and depend on the adults around them to get what they want. They will be an insecure child with little personal initiative.

Teaching a child to get what they want with dedication and patience will turn them into a brave and autonomous person who wants to explore their environment freely and without fear; who wants to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their choices. If parents overprotect their child to prevent them from becoming frustrated or disappointed, they will only be preventing the child from acquiring the necessary skills to be able to face their difficulties with tenacity and confidence. They will turn them into an insecure child who is unable to cope with their problems.

Keys to educating a child on the importance of perseverance and effort:

1. Help the child to set small daily challenges that are achievable, to commit to themselves without doubting their worth and work. You also have to help them design the program by planning each of the steps they will have to take to achieve what they propose, being aware that, throughout their life, they will have to overcome many stumbling blocks.
2. Get them to understand and accept that they will make mistakes on their path, and that there is nothing wrong with that. Being compassionate with themselves when there are setbacks and learning from these moments will teach them how to move forward, little by little in their projects.
3. Teach the child to be patient and to understand that much of what they want to achieve is done through work and effort. They must learn to postpone the reward until they have fulfilled their commitments and not to depend on chance or fortune, but on work and commitment. They must be taught to understand success as the ability to enjoy everyday life, to be grateful for everything good that happens to them.
4. Demonstrate by example, with words of encouragement and affection that shows you are by their side, supporting them unconditionally, without judging their mistakes. Help them to properly manage and express emotions, to master impatience and indecision, to overcome bad moods when things go wrong.

Perseverance and willpower are the foundation for building the dreams we long for. A child who is capable of striving and working to achieve what excites and thrills them will build up determination, curiosity and optimism. They will show commitment without procrastinating or making excuses for bad luck or blaming others for their own setbacks. As the German physicist Albert Einstein said: “There is a driving force more powerful than steam, electricity and nuclear power: the will.”

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