The Difference Between Persistence and Relentless and Why it Matters
Persistence and relentless are very similar words that people often use interchangeably. The difference is subtle but critical to success in pursuing any difficult goal.
Persistence is repeatedly pursuing a course of action with the same energy and consistency. Relentless is the act of not giving up and trying harder despite failure or the possibility of failure in pursuing a course of action.
The difference between persistence and relentless comes down to how one approaches their process in pursuing a course of action. When being persistent you stick with the process no matter what because you believe the process will ultimately lead you to the goal. When being relentless the process matters much less than the goal. Therefore when being relentless you are willing to keep switching up the process as the goal remains the same.
This subtle difference matters. If you are persistent when the goal calls for being relentless or vice versa your chances of failure increase exponentially.
There are times in life when you have a proven process that nearly guarantees success if you stick with it. For example, things such as strength training programs or marathon training programs. These examples rely on facts, past results and scientifically proven processes of improvement. Whenever there is research that verifies that a process works it’s better to be persistent.
On the other hand, there are times in life when you are breaking new ground or pursuing a subjective goal. For example, starting a successful business in a new or emerging industry or being an inventor. In these cases when you don’t have history on your side it’s better to be relentless.
If you are persistent when you need to be relentless then you risk being delusional in continuing to execute a process that won’t work. If you are relentless when you need to be persistent then you risk giving up too soon on a process that will eventually work if you stick with it.