Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

If we look at the two areas we spend most of our adult life, it’s at home (with spouse) and at work. Human nature seems to prefer comfort and stability but the numbers tell us both primary areas are subject to instability and failure.

I was at a men’s breakfast gathering Thursday morning where the speaker mentioned how in his experience and statistically speaking, chances for success when starting out with substantial challenges, were not very good.

His comments were in reference to a new relationship where a couple’s potential for having children was nearly eliminated based on a pre-existing physical condition and the likelihood of the relationship surviving was, in his opinion, drastically reduced.

The first thing I thought about was, “What is the story behind the numbers?”
Do people quit things (in general) too easily?
Are our expectations out of line with reality?
Have we been conditioned to only take paths of lesser resistance?
Is it a safer bet to assume that things naturally fail more often than they succeed?

Well…

According to the American Psychological Association, “…about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce.

The divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher.”

When it comes to business, there is a popular myth out there that 9 out of 10 start ups fail. Depending on which statistic you read, which data set is studied and what time frame you consider, the rough failure rate over an extended period of time appears to be about 60%.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker currently holds ten different jobs before age forty, and this number is projected to grow. Forrester Research predicts that today’s youngest workers will hold twelve to fifteen jobs in their lifetime.

Doesn’t sound like comfort or stability to me.

So, let’s generalize here for a minute so we don’t get hung up on a number. New businesses, career starts and marriages in the U.S. fail more than half the time. Not very good statistics. The next thought for me becomes, “So your resolve is being tested, now what?”

I enjoy the words of Calvin Coolidge on this topic. He said,

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Leaders – keep looking forward with persistence and determination.

Have a blessed weekend.