How to be Successful Like Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most famous polymaths in history.  He is known as the ultimate Renaissance Man and a genius in many different disciplines.  He had an insatiable interest in a hugely varied number of subjects; however, he did not seem to view himself as a genius.  He attributed his success to a particular trait that he had and cultivated his entire life.

The Trait That Made Leonardo a Genius

One of Da Vinci’s favourite sayings was “Ostinato Rigore.”  Literally translated it means “obstinate persistence.”  What it refers to is a refusal to give up until a task was completed, whatever the task was.  Once he made a goal, he persisted until he achieved it, regardless of the skill level involved or how long the task would take.

How to Achieve our Goals like Da Vinci

Da Vinci felt that intelligently working on a goal and committing to completing it, was just as important as having intelligence and talent.  That is quite an endorsement for hard work and deliberate practice.  It also gives all of us hope that we do not need to be a genius or even overly intelligent to achieve our goals and dreams.  Rather, we need to intelligently pursue our goals and refuse to give up, be obstinate in our pursuit of those goals, and we will increase our chances of achieving them dramatically.