Andrea Chua Ai Chia www.andreachuaaichia.

com
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 Persevere Till You Succeed
Andrea Chua Ai Chia
www.andreachuaaichia.com

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Table of Contents
Introduction

Breakthroughs

25 Effective Methods to Develop Unwavering Perseverance

1. Love what you do

2. Hone your gifts

3. Concentrate on one new project at a time

4. Put down your goals in writing with dates

5. Expect to succeed

6. Know your risk appetite

7. Work on your growth

8. Do more than what is expected

9. Brainstorm for ideas and solutions

10. Feel good about yourself

11. Curb your limiting beliefs

12. Safeguard your precious mind

13. Associate yourself with a strong, positive support group

14. Rejuvenate

15. Manage time productively

16. Focus on progress

17. Develop consistency

18. Leverage on other people’s mistakes

19. Self-motivate

20. Record your reflections

21. Celebrate wins

22. Experiment non-stop

23. Let your intuition guide you

24. Maintain emotional fortitude

25. Have faith and remain optimistic

Introduction
Why did I choose to write this Book?

Be it at school, in our careers, while writing a book or building a business, tenacity is

indispensable to success.

Challenges are part and parcel of life.

After seeing how many students under my tutelage performing better and suddenly
becoming really keen on learning unlike before…

After seeing a breakthrough in my business (although I still have lots of room of

improvement) …

I have a strong urge to write this book.

Sometimes, when a business did not perform as well as expected, there is no need
to worry much.

When a person loses his or her job and finds difficulty in finding another one, it does
not mean that the person is not capable.

When people think that a situation is serious or a child is beyond one’s ability to
teach, it’s not necessary so.

It’s just that the right method has not been found yet.

When a child’s parent was told that the child would not be able to learn how to read
in future, there are still ways to help a child to learn.

The truth is, everyone is gifted with unique strengths, that when put to good use, not
only will the person live a fulfilled life, the people around will also benefit
tremendously.

Many people want to accomplish great things in life. But how many people can really
persevere to savour the fruits of their labour?

How to be that strong not to throw in the towel after multiple failures?

How does one develop unwavering perseverance to keep going when improvement
is nowhere in sight?

We need to augment our capacity for tenacity.

In this eBook, you will get to learn about inspiring stories as well as effective
methods to help you overcome the hurdles in your pursuit for greater success.
There are many examples of people accomplishing what seemed impossible to most
people.

There are many miracles that have happened.

Helen Keller graduated from college despite being deaf and blind. Nick Vujicic is a
renowned motivational speaker despite having no limbs…

If you have read my eBooks 15 Golden Prosperity Principles and 365 Days of Pure
Joy, you will know that I am a private tutor as well as an email marketer (affiliate
marketer).

What I love about what I do is the opportunities to inspire others, to help people see
their breakthroughs.

Let me share with you this wonderful poem “Don’t Quit” by

John Greenleaf Whittier:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
and when you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twist and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst,
that you must not quit.
Breakthroughs
Here are some breakthroughs I have seen.

Breakthroughs of my students:

1. A girl with mild autism struggling with her studies at first.

I waited and waited. I waited for so long for a girl to pass Chinese.

Pass Chinese? Yes, to her, me or her parents, it’s a big deal.

She has mild autism, and has failed many many times.

And the day had finally arrived...She achieved 27.5/45, a pass as the passing mark
is 22.5/45

I was thinking when this girl could see her breakthrough…

Thanks to her mother's patience 👍👍👍 It's OUR effort, not mine alone.
And this girl had achieved the Good Progress Award for Chinese Language in her
school. After many times seeing people receiving awards on stage, it’s finally her
turn 😊

This testimonial is written by her mother on Facebook and my happiness knows no

bounds reading it…

“Good Progress Award for Chinese Language - I am so proud of you baby 😘

Still remember you do not know how to read or write chinese characters in P1. That's where I decided
to get you a chinese tutor on 17 Oct 2016. Yes, we know you struggled. But with God's grace and
also with Cai Lao Shi's help, you finally improves and passed your chinese within 2 years... you really
deserve this award baby!!👏 I hope this award can motivate you to achieve for more improvement in
coming years. Mummy and Daddy say you can do it means you can. Would like to dedicate this
Progress Award to 蔡老师 Andrea Chua Ai Chia too. Thank you for your patience, love and never give
up for Z . 😃”

Initially, I wondered whether I was suitable to teach her. Thankfully, I read and heard
many cases of special students which prove that it's possible...

A conversation with the girl that I will always remember...

She: How? I am born like that."
Me: No. You can still do well...You still have hands and legs. You know, a girl doesn't
have hands and legs. She still can paint using her mouth."
She: How?
Me: I don't know.
She: No hands and legs how?
Me: Still have a brain.
Our mindset determines most of what we can achieve. Keep it positive.
I am really happy for this girl

Now, I am teaching her maths too. (Thankfully, her interest for Chinese as well as
her attitude towards learning have increased tremendously.)

There was one post by Power of Positivity Facebook Page that I love:

“Respond to your children with love in their worst moments, their broken moments,
their angry moments, their selfish moments, their frustrated moments, their
inconvenient moments because it is in their most unlovable human moments that
they most need to feel loved.”

I truly agree.

No child, as far as I know, is not touched by LOVE ❤️

2. A Primary Six boy was scoring 20/95 for his Paper 2 and we fought to
help him pass Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
When I started teaching a Primary Six boy a year before the major examination, he
scored 20/95 for his Paper 2. Then, after that, it's 30 then 38.

However, for the preliminary exam of PSLE, his results dropped to 18/95. Most
obvious reason: The comprehension open-ended questions were all left blank.

I was racking my brain about what I should do and if he could absorb anything I
taught him. Some of my Primary Three students could recognise more Chinese
characters than he.

With just weeks away from the exam, we just did whatever we could.

We used xuele.moe.edu.sg. (a website to learn Chinese in Singapore) to go through

the whole P6 textbook chapters, a reading pen for school magazines, drawing block,
coloured pens...and I forgot how many times I told him, "You can do it" and "you will
improve".

For students who are struggling, tackle motivation.

When the PSLE release day arrived, to my delight, I received all good news from 4
students, and this student's the most remarkable – He got a C (at least 50 marks),
which is a pass.
Our hard work finally paid off although he kept failing before this.

Miracles CAN happen.

 3. A student who scored 49.5/100 and then passed with 70/100. He had
failed two examinations.

A screenshot from his parent. It’s not written today. It’s the day when I received the
heartwarming WhatsApp message from her 😊

When I received this message, I was also sooooo glad :

This boy was struggling to pass...twice.

I did not include the names of my students or parents for privacy purposes.
Nevertheless, I can assure you, all of the messages are real 😊

Breakthrough in my entrepreneurial journey

I attended two internet marketing courses. I did not succeed after the first one,
perhaps because I was not as serious learning and it was not specific how exactly I
can create a business out of it.

After the second course, I also almost gave up thrice. But I did not. I was thinking, “I
like writing and teaching. How can doing email marketing be such a good and
coincidental match?

I was also thinking, “The first time I paid for the course, it was cancelled and I got the
course fee back. The second time I saw the advertisement again. So there must be
something that I really need to do.”

And I continued learning, picking up skills, consulting friends and my mentor,

especially those who were more experienced than I was…to finally see the turning
point on 6 December 2018.
After adding up the revenue and subtracting the course fees as well as other
expenses as accurately as possible, I realised I had already 'break even' and know
the exact amount on top of that.

Yes, it gives amazing clarity writing down the details, be it for our income and
expenses. There is not much we can remember over time if we do not jot down the
important information.

In 2018, I invested the least in my business and earned back the most compared to
the previous two years.

I don't know exactly why. On the other hand, I got to know that email marketing (or
affiliate marketing) is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

There are people who take big actions and “break even” in less than a year, much
faster than I did.

I took about three years to “break even”.

Now, I am using profits to invest back into my business to grow.

If you are acting on your dream, and feel that you are doing what you are meant to
do, keep pressing on.

Sooner or later, with unwavering perseverance, you will succeed.

I am passionate about inspiring people and writing, so after writing for two years, I
am still writing.

The good thing is, when we motivate others, whether they are students or
subscribers, we surely get motivated as well.

I thank God for all the blessings that I have received and the biggest challenge in my
business had been overcome.

I am sincerely grateful to those who have helped me along the way, including my
like-minded friends, people who have more experience as well as my supportive
subscribers who has made this day happen.

My business skills still leave a lot to be desired. However, despite many people
saying that around 90% of businesses fail, we can still succeed if we persevere 😊
What I want to say is, many people can achieve breakthroughs. Including you!!!

So how do we keep going and not give up in the face of numerous challenges?

Stay tuned to the 25 Effective Methods to Develop Unwavering Perseverance…

 1. Love what you do

What gives you fulfilment?

What is the cause you have always wanted to support?

For me, it’s writing, teaching and inspiring people. As many people as I can.

Yes, a hobby does not make us money. Giving value does.

Hence, give value to others doing something you love and people will happily pay for
your service.

Some parents think that teaching is challenging. It’s not if we know how and
constantly search for ingenious ideas.

To me, a good teacher knows how to motivate students and the rapport between the
teacher and student must be very strong.

I tutor at students’ homes.

Once, the father of a 10-year-old student arrived home and exclaimed, “(Student’s
name), you look so happy!”

She replied, “Yes, because I like studying.”

Children like studying? Isn’t it a rare occurrence?

Yes, it’s possible for students to enjoy lessons, love studying and don’t mind doing
homework.
It’s possible for you to love your work.

When you have a purpose, not only will you be happier, you will be healthier and be
willing to putting in the effort even if it means many years.

A video on Facebook showed a 94-year-old lady who still worked at a bakery, 6

times a day. She is still in the pink of health and her doctor said she did not look as if
she is 94.

Love is powerful.
If you love your family, you will likely have a happy family.
If you love your work, you will do things with a heart, producing great work.
If you teach with love, your students will love you.
If you love what you have, you will likely have more of what you want in future.
If you love yourself, you will have high self-esteem, treat people well and most
people will return your kindness.
If you love your life, you will be happy and live a fulfilling life.
If your love is in your work, you are capable of achieving greater heights.

“Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it." ~ Nicholas Sparks

Be occupied with a strong and meaningful purpose. Love what you do.

Create a great positive impact.

 2. Hone your gifts

Look at the sandcastle above? Beautiful, isn’t it?

You can create something beautiful, something unique that only you can create.

Find your gifts. Nurture your talents.

I watched an inspirational movie called "Guang", an award-winning Malaysian show.

Based on a true story, this story depicts the story of a 27-year-old autistic man called
Guang.

His brother had to take care of him after their mother had passed away.

Guang wanted to buy a piano but changed his mind as it was too expensive.

He did not pass numerous interviews to be a cleaner...to the fury of his brother.

His brother really did many things for him and thought he did whatever he could.

Guang kept getting glasses and bowls from everywhere. Even stealing them.

He was extremely sensitive to the different keys and decibels but his brother was
unaware of this fact.
Police went to their place and wanted to arrest Guang but did not. However, Guang's
brother was so angry that he threw all the cups and bowls down the building.

This left Guang devastated. He ran away from home. His brother as well as a friend,
searched high and low for him but to no avail.

Reflecting on what had happened, it suddenly occurred to Guang's brother that he

did not try to understand Guang - why he had collected the glasses...

Surprisingly, one day, Guang went home as he had remembered a promise the
brother had made.

All of a sudden, Guang's brother heard some music coming from the room and saw
his brother had made his own "piano"...

In the end, Guang wore formal attire and tuned pianos for a living.

What the movie portrayed:

There are people with special needs who just simply think differently. We don't
expect similar results from them.

They are lucky if they meet people who can understand them and help them put their
gifts to best use. We need to understand them.

When Guang was young, he ran out of the class to play in the drain, infuriating his
mother.

Everyone has huge potential.

Everyone has their own unique paths to take in life.

I am absolutely grateful to find my gifts in life. I love writing and teaching and can
engage in related activities all day long.

I can work seven days a week and neither feel tired nor upset easily. And seldom get
sick.

When you pursue your gifts, you will be willing to put in the hours and do more than
what is required. You don’t work for money. If the money doesn’t come fast, you
won’t worry as much as those who work for money.
If you are working on your gift, you will not mind if others don’t like what you create.
As long as you love what you do.

If you are working on your gift, you will do your best to create excellent work, not for
others, but for yourself.

If you are working on your gift, you will develop indomitable resilience in the face of
challenges.

If you are working on your gift, you love your work so much that you feel just as
satisfied whether or not you go for vacations or not.

“Instead of wondering when our next vacation is we should set up a life

we don’t need to escape from.” ~Seth Godin

When you are doing what you should, it does not matter if you have to endure for a
long time in order to see success, it does not matter if you don’t have the support
you think you should get, you will work day and night, without complaints and with a
smile on your face.
3.Concentrate on one new project at a time

My mentor said, “Focus on one course until successful.”

When I was still struggling with making my email marketing business work, a few
friends asked me if I was interested to check out new businesses.

I told them, “No, I am only focusing on tuition and email marketing now.”

Only after three years, I signed up for another course to learn about how to monetize
using Facebook Marketing, Instagram, YouTube…

If we have too many commitments, there will be less time to master the knowledge in
one area. If we do not spend enough time, how do we become great at it?

Besides, for now, I have been tutoring primary school students for about ten years. I
teach primary school students English, maths and Chinese but not science. I do not
teach secondary school students now. I need to focus my energy on certain subjects
and levels.

Richard St. John, a success expert who has interviewed more than 1000 successful
people including Richard Branson and Bill Gates, told “CNBC Make It” that “Focus is
the big one. Focus is the secret to most people’s success.”
4.Put down your goals in writing with dates
“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”

~ E. Joseph Cossman

If your goal is important enough to you, the obstacles won’t stop you.

Set big goals, goals worthwhile to you and commit to achieving them.

There is a difference between wanting something and doing whatever it takes.

What you think is challenging at first may not be as challenging as you think. If you
know the necessary steps to tackle them.

Somehow, after setting goals, our level of consciousness increases as it influences

our subconscious mind.

Let me share with you what I did.

I wrote in an exercise book two of my goals for January 2017.

One day, I was looking through the exercise book and the goals caught my attention.

How surprised I was seeing that the goals had already been achieved!

Have you experienced a similar situation before?

Furthermore, I watched videos by Brian Tracy and in two of his videos, he taught
people how to achieve big financial goals and repeated this method in both videos.

He mentioned that this method was taught to people who paid thousands of dollars
for his courses and if they did not reach their goals, they could get their money back.

Using a pen and paper, do these:

1. Write down an open-ended question, eg,"How do I double/triple my income?"
2. Brainstorm/Mindstorm and write down 20 ways to achieve it, eg. more of
(something), less of (something)...
3. Work on the most important point first.

All it cost -- a piece of paper and some ink.

Yet, while we are working on one, more ideas will enter our minds.

I know the power of setting goals.

Finally, I took action to do this exercise.

When I wrote until 7 or 8, it became a bit harder.
I was really struggling when I reached 19.

What happened after writing 20?

I suddenly thought of another way. So I erased one way and replace it with a better
one.

It is good to take action as once we start, solutions will appear.

No one is responsible for our finances except ourselves.

After writing down, believe that your dream will come true.
 5.Expect to Succeed

While reading the book “The One Minute Entrepreneur”, it is mentioned that we
should visualise what we want before it is achieved. The research on Olympic
athletes showed that those who win in races, see themselves reaching the finishing
line before the race.

When a salesperson is selling a product, but do not expect he or she can sell, his or
her body language will show and the customers will notice it. The opposite holds true
too. When a teacher teaches, the expectation that the student will understand over
time must be there too.

If you want to reached your desired outcome, you need to expect to win. You
need to be confident.

If you want to succeed in a business, you need to think that you will be part of the
smaller percentage of people who beat the inevitable odds against them. Since the
successful people can do it, you can do it too! You just need to develop the skills and
habits that they adopt.

By expecting to win, you will take massive action, build the momentum,
making your goal come true.

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare
to win, and expect to win." ~ Zig Ziglar

“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” ~ Robin
Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams
and Reaching Your Destiny
 `6.Know your risk appetite

Everyone’s risk tolerance varies.

Some people think that to do a business, one needs to be in a position such as

quitting one’s job and leave no opportunity of turning back.

What I did was different. I build an internet business when I am self-employed as a

tutor. To have a peace of mind, I needed income coming in.

When I was working at a student care centre, I started doing part-time tuition, setting
the foundation for me to start teaching in Singapore.

To familiarize myself, I need to have some experience before taking the plunge.
That’s me.

When I invest in stocks, I don’t invest too much at one go too. I think it is important to
diversify and not put all our eggs in one basket. Just in case something unexpected
happens.

Having not enough cash on hand can easily cause one to quit.

If you are like me, it is good to start small. I don’t need to face an urgent situation
before taking action. But I have a big “Why”. I want the freedom to be able to be in
charge of my life without any financial worries and spend as much quality time with
my loved ones as possible.

In order to persevere in your endeavours, it is crucial to know your risk

appetite.
 7.Work on your growth

“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”

~ Warren Buffett

When we face a challenges, think this way, “How do I solve it?”

Not “it’s too hard”.

If we keep looking for answers, we will find the solutions. What we focus on
EXPANDS.

My favourite activity to start my day is by listening to inspirational speeches on

YouTube or reading motivational quotes.

Attend courses to educate yourself.

Read books to enhance your knowledge.

Tap into mentors’ expertise to shorten your learning curve and boost your results.

No one is indispensable at work.

No matter how much success we have achieved, never be complacent. Keep

moving forward.

Without the skills to manage finances well, even if one had a windfall, the money will
seldom stay in the person’s hands in the long term.

I listened to one of Jim Rohn’s speech and heard him mention “income does not far
exceed personal development”.

Aim to achieve self-mastery through continuous learning.

It is okay to start small. It is okay to earn only a little when we just begin our careers.

Many high achievers are not afraid to earn a little or work for free when they just
started out. Warren Buffett wanted to work for Ben Graham for free. Jack Ma earned
$10 per month a long time ago...Are they not worried about their financial situation at
first?

I think their desire to learn as much as possible is greater than their worry about their
financial situation at first.

When we work hard, keep learning and be kind, great things will happen.

Prepare yourself before opportunities arrive at your door.

Instead of chasing after money or rewards, we work on ourselves.

We get what we become.

“Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because
success is something you attract by the person you become.” -Hal Elrod, The Miracle
Morning

“Be a lifelong student. The more you learn, the more you earn and the more
self-confidence you will have.” ~ Brian Tracy
 8.Do more than what is expected

“ Luckily I passed” is a phrase commonly mentioned by students.

“My teachers said she will only test ten,” a student informed me, even though the list
contained more than ten spelling words.

“We’ll learn all,” I responded, “Not just ten.”

On another occasion…

“My mother bought new exercise books for me,” a student told me. “Can I copy and
learn these?”

He asked me after a lesson, referring to the notes I wrote about idioms/ sayings, how
to change verbs to nouns or adjectives to nouns…

After asking him to finish the work I have given him first, I talked to his father and
feedback about his good initiative.

Do we just aim for a pass when we can excel?

Do we just aim to meet ends meet?

Do we work just to keep our jobs?

The willingness to do more than necessary, to learn more than what is taught, to
practise when no one is seeing…will certainly stand us in good stead.

This exemplary characteristic deserves to be encouraged.

If we do more than what is expected of us, we become great at what we do, our
performance will become extraordinary and easily noticed. The better we are at what
we do, the easier things become and the higher our chance of persevering and
succeed.

For a person doing business or freelance work, ‘word-of-mouth’ is one of the most
powerful ways of advertising.

Always dedicate your best effort in everything you do.

And opportunities will appear and lead you far.

“In our industry, being first in a market is not everything. Customer loyalty is. And
loyalty is not won by being first. It is won by being best.” ~ Stefan Persson, Chairman
of H&M
 9.Brainstorm for ideas and solutions

Sometimes, while working towards a huge goal, there are moments when we feel
things can be better, but we don’t know how.

We feel as if we do not have a solution to make any improvement.

However, we actually have many ideas.

If we come up with our most pressing question on the challenge we are facing,
using a piece of paper and a pen, and then brainstorm for ways to solve it, we will
likely come up with more ways than we think we can.

Once we write down the issue, our brain will think for ways by its own.
Subconsciously.

When our minds are concentrating on a task, ideas come to our minds over time.

When we are not able to find the solution to a problem at first, it does not mean that
it can’t be solved. Why?

I was at Jurong East (a place in the west of Singapore), looking for a coffee shop
near the library.
Being unfamiliar with that area, I searched for a while.
Then one appeared right in front of me.
"It's so near," I thought to myself, feeling surprised.
It took me less than two minutes to walk from the coffee shop to the library.
For a few times, I have been walking a big round to get to the library.
While I was marking a composition, the second time I looked at it, I found new errors.
Why didn't I see it the first time?
These experiences show that...
If we do something over and over again, we will get better at it.
We find new solutions and even shortcuts.
Don't give up too soon.

We may just see something in a book, hear something that is mentioned by others.
Albeit indirectly, we are directed to achieving what we want.

The brain is miraculous. If we know how to use its power, we will get to reap the
benefits.

And massive results.

 10.Feel good about yourself
I know my students need to feel good of themselves.

With the inspiration of a teacher, I read the post and thought, “Why not I do the same
for my students?”

If students feel good about themselves, I believe they will put in much more effort for
themselves.

They will love themselves more. If they love themselves more, what they do will
show.

It’s possible to write on pencils, using the ZEBRA permanent marker.

I can turn the pencil and write more inspirational words.

Positivity for my students 😊

If you feel good about yourself, you will be more confident. The higher your level of
self-confidence, the more you take action without the need of others’ approval and
the easier it is for you to persist in the direction of your dreams.
 11.Curb your limiting beliefs
These are some common limiting beliefs:

“I do not have enough money”

“I am not experienced enough.”

“I am too old.”

“I am too young.”

The list goes on and on…We ought to eliminate disempowering thoughts.

The world is advancing at a rapid rate. Every day, we see new inventions. Decades
ago, no one would have thought of using robots to make life easier.

Before 1954, it was considered impossible to run a mile within 4 minutes.

However, Roger Bannister accomplished this feat!

From then on, more than 20000 people did it too!

It’s possible for you to build your own business. It’s possible to overcome financial
challenges. It’s possible to achieve financial freedom and the success you want. It’s
possible!

Don’t underestimate your actual ability.

Replace disempowering beliefs with empowering ones.

 12.Safeguard your precious mind

Some self-improvement gurus tell us not to watch the news as it is mostly negative.

“You are what you eat” is a common saying which means that our diet affects our
body and appearance.

“You are what you put into your mind” is also true.

How much negative information we come across every day, how many positive ideas
or remarks we hear each day…have a tremendous impact on how we think over
time.

As for me, motivational books are my perfect companion.

Watching YouTube videos by Les Brown, Brian Tracy and other inspirational
speakers and authors certainly give me a boost towards achieving higher goals in
life.

Be aware of your own inner conversations.

When we want to do something, do not think that others can perform a better job
than us.
There are people who overcame the odds stacked against them, but could attain
what others thought are ‘impossible’. So can you!
We don’t worry much about HOW to achieve what we want.
The how will come when the why is big enough.
Some people underestimate how much can be done over an extended period of
time.
We can come up with a plan of action.
We can get more ideas.
We can get more like-minded people to help us.
We can create something unique.
You deserve living your best life.
There is no best timing to start something new.
My friends praised me when they read my eBook “365 Days of Pure Joy”. I told them
it was not written in a day, but in two months.
Don’t underestimate your abilities to improve over time. Believe you can.
There is no perfect circumstance.
When a student has some sort of learning disability eg autism or dyslexia, we don’t
say “Because he (or she) is …”
We understand the circumstance the child or student is in, but there is also a
possibility of success. In his or her own way.

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes
heroes.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli
 13.Associate yourself with a strong,
positive support group

If we mingle with people who are motivated and ambitious, we will be motivated and
ambitious too.

If most of your friends only like entertainment or complain about life, we are likely to
be the same.

If a youth has friends who smoke except him/her, it is challenging to push away the
peer pressure.

If you often hang out with people who do business, then you will hardly feel doing
business is risky.

If you spend most of your time with people who dislike their jobs, then maybe you will
be like them too.

A speaker once said that our income level is quite similar to the people we associate
most with.

If you have a friend who has huge accomplishments in life, there is a motivation to
become as successful as the friend.

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

When a person complains to a positive person, if the positive person does not agree,
and if this situation happens repeatedly, it is highly probable both of them will not
spend much time with future.

I have heard that our income level is similar to people who are close to us.

Are successful people busy?

Yes, they are. It does not mean they are proud or not willing to share. I know many
successful people who are kind.

However, I always believe that we need to be givers. In order to attract givers into
our lives.

If we want to become around successful people to learn a great deal from one
another, we must be willing to develop ourselves and give enough value to them too.

We don’t just ask others to help us if we don’t do anything in return.

Spend time with people who uplift you.

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds
discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes, one brilliant idea is enough to bring forth an

avalanche of positive results.
 14. Rejuvenate

Relax your mind.

A calm mind fuels creativity and promotes good health.

I work in Singapore, but my parents are in Malaysia.

For about 5 times every year, I will return to Malaysia and spend time with my family.
Singapore is a place I am more productive in my work.
However, being in Malaysia, since my mind is in a very relaxed mode, new ideas
tend to emerge.
I get to appreciate nature much more in Malaysia where there is an abundance of
lush greenery and fruit trees.
The efficiency in Singapore is high and my mother said that I ‘have the best of both
worlds’.
Do you have a place you like to travel to in order to keep your mind free?
Do you have an activity you like to engage in for greater ideas and a clearer mind?
To care for others, you need to care for yourself.
:

To love others, love yourself first.

 15.Manage time productively

I woke up at around 6am one morning, despite having no class in the morning.

I took a bus to the study room at Sengkang Community Centre (a study room in
Singapore which opens 24 hours). The libraries only open at 10am or 11am.

Being the only one in the study room at that moment, I continued with writing this
eBook.

In the midst of writing, I realised we could get a great deal done within 2 hours.
Uninterrupted 2 hours.

I made it a point to do this right after my breakfast in the morning.

I felt a strong sense of achievement after the 2 hours.

We need to manage our priorities. Everyone has 24 hours a day.

Some people tend to procrastinate or put off important tasks.

The more we procrastinate, the more stressed we feel.

On the other hand, some people can really complete what they want to do…fast.

Do the things that yield the most results for you first.

If we get the most important thing done, wake up early and without distractions,
spend time doing the most important thing on our minds first thing in the morning, it
will boost our mood for the whole day. And we will get used to…not procrastinating.
 16. Focus on progress

While having a maths lesson with a Primary Four student,

He: The highest in class is 100.
Me: Yes, it's possible...
But we aim higher and higher, not straightaway that.

While talking to his mother, she told me the mean in class is 80. I agreed he still
needed lots of practice despite his progress this time.
Me: I heard the highest in class is 100.
She: I heard the student is not local.
Me: Is he from China?
She: Yes, should be.
True, having the highest marks may not seem important to some.
But time and time again, it seems like the 100 marks or close to 100 are always
achieved by students from China.
Why is it so? I wonder. What are students from China doing differently? Can we do
some of what they are doing or adopt their habits?

Even if we don't compete with the high achievers, we can emulate their
achievements. Not only in studies...

While striving to achieve new heights, never lose sight of how far you have come.
Count your blessings.

Never underestimate the power of INCREMENTAL

IMPROVEMENT over time.
 17.Develop consistency

“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.” -Bruce Lee

Every single day, work on your goals.

Over time, the power of a small repeated habit accumulates.

It is better than being exceptionally enthusiastic at first and becoming not interested at
all in the end.

We just need to take consistent action without stopping.

Some people do 10 push-ups a day. Some people read 10 to 15 pages a day. After
an extended period of time, they become strong physically and mentally, respectively.

For tutoring, I teach 7 days a week unless I really need to take time off for other
meaningful purposes.

For email marketing, I write daily emails and did not give up.

Over time, our bodies and minds adapt and we get stronger.

Here is one of my memorable reflections:

Teaching a child and building a business are like planting trees.

We nurture...we water...day by day...
We put in all our effort, hoping to see a breakthrough.
We wait...and wait...and wait...wondering how long we have to wait. The process can be
daunting. Yet, we don't give up.
All that leads us to carry on is the belief that one day we will see the results that we have been
awaiting for so long.
The day arises after many many days of waiting with minimal results. If we have given up earlier,
we will not get to see that day. The results in the end make all the effort worthwhile.
Yet, it's never a day's effort. It's days and days of toiling when no one is seeing. It's the
consistency of the effort that matters.
Even when things are going well, we are still prone to unexpected situations.
This is the way things are.
Embrace uncertainties.
Even the day when enormous success really arrives...comes as a surprise :)
Another brilliant quote by Bruce Lee, "I fear not the man who has practiced
10000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10000 times.”

The people who do not give up in the end will eventually be rewarded.

Daily practice, as well as daily marginal improvements, pays huge dividends in the
long run.

This is a photograph of the words on one of my T-shirts

Consistency is of paramount importance in achieving long-lasting

success.
 18. Leverage on other people’s mistakes

“Learn from the mistakes of other people." This is one of Jack Ma’s (Founder of
Alibaba Group) advice.

If we learn from people’s mistakes, we shortcut our way to success.

Success leaves tracks.

There are patterns that are followed by successful people. If we duplicate their
habits, we will be directed towards success too.

We avoid the heartache others go through.

We save time by doing what brings us closer towards our goals.

Reading books makes our lives fulfilled as many years of experience of an individual
is actually put in words and we can get all the goodness in just a few days or a
month.

We should learn from other people’s mistakes, as well as our own, so that we know
how to tackle various situations and become wiser with each day.

If you can find someone else who has achieved what you want, having similar
circumstances as you, it means you can do it too!
 19.Self-motivate

To continue to go on day after day, whether or not any achievement is obvious, I

believe there is a tremendous need for us to develop our own capacity to self-
motivate.

We don’t ask people, “Can you motivate me today?”

I motivate myself by:

1) Starting my day with something positive:

- Inspiring speeches by Les Brown, Anthony Robbins, Jim Rohn…

- Uplifting songs:

a) “Firework” by Katy Perry

b) “Titanium” by David Guetta

c) “Try Everything” by Shakira

d) “A Million Dreams” from the Greatest Showman

e) “Hero” by Mariah Carey

f) “When You Believe” by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

g) “Nowhere to Go but Up” (from Mary Poppins Returns)

h) “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” (from Mary Poppins Returns)

i) “Diamonds” by Rihanna
2) Reading my journal or Facebook posts with reflections, to see how far I have
come, the lessons I have learnt

3) Reading testimonials from subscribers motivating me to write more and better

It's certainly heartwarming receiving emails like these:

There are people who take the time to read what I write and I really appreciate
them.

Always do our best producing work of good quality.

These words of encouragement are priceless. They are a strong motivation

for me to continue writing
 20. Record your reflections

Every time when I have a new idea, a thought that I need to express, I will write them
down.

The reason I can share with you all the details of real-life examples and true stories
is because I have recorded them earlier.

What worked well in the day?

What can be improved?

By writing down, I gain clarity.

Clarity about the actions I should take in future.

Clarity about the exact way things turn out.

If I do not write it down, it will easily slip my mind.

Here is an example of one of my reflections and how it guides me in my teaching in

future:

“A P1 student asked me what "dollhouse" was in Chinese...I had not come across
the Chinese translation for it. So I searched online. It's 玩具屋. So I learnt something
from a child today. :)
By the way, I asked him to write sentences on the whiteboard. One in Chinese
characters and another in "hanyupinyin" (The way of pronouncing in the Chinese
language and the intonations) …
To my surprise, the first one he wrote was "我爱妈妈“. (I love Mother.)
I taught him how to write "爱" and ”妈”...(He could have written other sentences
about himself like "我叫..." My name is...)
When I asked him to write a sentence using "hanyupinyin", he wrote "Wo ai ba ba."
With the intonations...Then he asked me in Chinese," Can I write another?" Then he
wrote "Wo ai mei mei." (He took the initiative to write another sentence.)
Some children can really be so sweet and have so much love ❤️
I realised a good way to teach languages is to ask students to write anything they
want on a whiteboard.
Not only do we get to know what is on their minds, but they also get to understand
that learning new vocabulary will help them express what they want. :)””

With reflections, we will know what works well and do more of it.

With reflections, we will know what does not work and be careful not to do the same
to minimize inconveniences.
 21.Celebrate wins

I was having a lesson with a student.

I let her do a maths question while I solved it on my whiteboard.

After showing her the whiteboard proving that her answer was correct, I exclaimed,
"Congratulations!"

She replied, "You are the only one who will congratulate me when I get a question
right."

I said, "Good, right?"

She nodded.

Yes, I show students "thumbs-up" signs, tell them "congratulations"...

It seems such a small matter. But over time, it's not.

Everyone, no matter how old or young, appreciates recognition for their efforts.

Even yourself. You need to recognise your hard work. Appreciate yourself.

I treat myself to buffets or go to my favourite places after completing a task or

spending a considerable amount of time working on something that matters to me.
 22.Experiment non-stop

This is part of the lyrics from inspirational song called “Try Everything” by Shakira:
I messed up tonight
I lost another fight
I still mess up but I'll just start again
I keep falling down
I keep on hitting the ground
I always get up now to see what's next
Birds don't just fly
They fall down and get up
Nobody learns without getting it won
I won't give up, no I won't give in
Till I reach the end
And then I'll start again
Though I'm on the lead
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
I won't give up, no I won't give in
Till I reach the end
And then I'll start again
No I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail”

If one way doesn’t work, use another. Keep testing.

There are ups and downs in business. There are ups and downs in teaching.

Edison’s teacher thought he was not capable of learning. His mother homeschooled
him. In the end, he became a great scientist.
Les Brown was labelled “educable mentally retarded”. The good thing is, he became
a great motivational speaker.

“Why is it all about what these kids can’t do? Why isn’t anyone looking more
closely at what they can do?” ~ Kristine Barnett

I highly recommend this book “The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius and
Autism” written by Kristine Barnett.

Kristine is indeed amazing.

As her son had autism, he stopped speaking and others did not believe he could
read. Seeing no improvement in him at a special ed school, she pulled him out and
decided to train him herself despite having another sick child to take care of.

In this way, a genius is developed.

I learnt that there may be better methods than those taught in school. With
persistence and love, more breakthroughs will happen.

Other books on dyslexia, ADD…are available too.

The fact is, there is so much information around. There are many experts. We can
learn and apply a great deal just by reading.
.
"Strength and growth come only through continuous /effort and struggle."
~ Napoleon Hill

Setbacks strengthen our resilience.

If one way doesn't work, we use another. If the other way doesn't work, we use the
third way...and the fourth or fifth or...until we find a good way.
 23.Let your intuition guide you

I make my own big decisions.

To be a full-time tutor. To attend 3-day courses. To start a business. To buy

insurance. To invest in stocks or ads for business...

I don't discuss with anyone, including my family members and best friends.

I know just one negative opinion is enough to stop me.

I have made wrong decisions before...

When I handled many students in a classroom and could not manage the class
without any experience, I wrote "I will not be a teacher again" in my diary. But I
became a tutor.

I attended two internet marketing courses. But only after the second one, I knew
what to do and was serious enough to make it work.

I invested too much in a stock that I was overconfident and recorded paper losses. I
learnt that we cannot put too much for one counter. I invested again after that.

Somehow, my gut feeling led me to correct decisions in the end. Even if it is the
second time revisiting the same opportunity.
Listen to Your Heart.
 24.Maintain emotional fortitude

Control your emotions and do not let your emotions control you.

Stay cheerful. If not, stay calm.

There is one inspiring quote that I saw by Warren Buffett@WarrenBuffettHQ:

You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that
is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True
power is restraint. If words control you that means everyone else can control
you. Breathe and allow things to pass.

Whether this is written by the real Warren Buffett, one of the best investors in the
world, this quote makes lots of sense.

If we want to be happy, we don’t be too affected by what others say to us.

Everyone has their opinions.

If we want to succeed in our endeavours, when things do not turn out the way we
want, we don’t be too disappointed.

If we stay calm and do not let any negative feelings overwhelm us, we will be more
receptive to new ideas and new solutions.

~ ~ Stay Calm and Carry On. ~ ~

 25.Have faith and remain optimistic

A student told me,"I don't care."

My reply: You don't care, but I care. So I won't let you 'don't care'.

When a student told me,"I gave up."

My response: But I haven't given up. Or else I won't be here.

Such is the case of some students...I sense "helplessness".

Sooner or later, I believe, positivity will triumph over negativity...

Besides, I truly value being an email marketer in the personal development niche.

I started learning about internet marketing as I liked the freedom of being able to
earn just with a laptop. Then somehow, I landed myself in the personal development
niche.

As I sent a webinar replay link to my subscribers one morning, I also watched the
webinar.

I heard Bob Proctor say that he was making 4000 per year and then, he earned
50,000 per month. It is common to hear these stories being in the personal
development niche. It broadens our mind that many things are possible.

So, no matter what situation we are in or what challenge we are facing, we need to
always remember: There are always a way to make things better.
I have come across the inspirational story by Victoria Arlen and want to let you
know about the miracles she has experienced…

Being a sports enthusiast, Victoria Arlen enjoyed dancing.

She was born healthy. However, at age 11, she had flu-like symptoms and was
down with pneumonia.

Soon, she became paralysed from waist down and could not move as there was a
serious inflammation of her brain and spinal cord.

She lost her ability to speak, eat and move about and eventually, entered a
comatose state.

The good thing was, she was able to hear the conversations of her loved ones
beside her in hospital.

Doctors told her family that she was brain dead and would be in a vegetative state
forever.

Her family members took care of her and inspired her to become stronger and in
2010, she was no longer in the vegetative state!

In December 2009, she managed to make eye contact, and then move a finger,
wave her hand, form words and sentences.

Then, she was able to eat pudding on her own. After that, solids.

She could hold her handphone but she could not move her legs.

Specialists told her to be used to sitting on a wheelchair.

She did not want to accept being on a wheelchair.

As she had grown up near a lake, she learnt swimming when she was young and
became a good swimmer.

Nevertheless, she thought she could not swim without using her legs.

In 2010, her brothers threw her into the pool at her place and she was surprised that
she was still a great swimmer. This boost her confidence.

When Victoria was 17, in 2012, she took part in the Paralympic Olympic Games and
clinched three silver medals as well as one gold!

She still refused the need to be on a wheelchair.

In 2013, at San Diego, she participated in a program called “Project Walk” to help
handicapped people stand with their two legs.

Her parents mortgage the house to open “Project Walk Boston” in the east.

Victoria trained six hours each day and slowly, she could walk with crutches.

A few months later, she no longer needed crutches to walk!

Having beaten the tremendous odds against herm, today, she is indeed a strong
inspiration to all.

The Story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree

I have heard this story narrated by Les Brown.

It’s about the Chinese Bamboo Tree.

The Chinese Bamboo Tree took 5 years to break through the ground.

Within 5 weeks, it became 90 feet tall.

Do you think it takes 5 years or 5 weeks to grow?

5 years, because if it was not taken care of for five years, it will not reach the point
when there is a point when an exceptional growth happen.

Hence, if you are doing a business, starting a project, teaching a child, solving a
problem, overcoming a difficulty, PERSEVERE.

One day, you will see success. An abundance of it.

Let me share with you this meaningful poem called “If –" by Rudyard Kipling, an
English Nobel Laureate:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make a heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

From it, we learn that we should treat “triumph” and “disaster” the two imposters just the same.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without
hope and confidence." ~ Helen Keller

It’s my great pleasure writing to you this eBook and I hope that what I have shared
will be useful to you 😊

Thank you very much for reading my eBook “Persevere till you succeed”.
"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that
counts." ~ Winston Churchill
If you wish to share with me any of your comments, feel free to send me an email.
My email address is [email protected]

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

There is growth at the end of a struggle.
There is a beautiful rainbow at the end of heavy rain.

“If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it,
to work day and night for it,
to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it…
if all that you dream and scheme is about it,
and life seems useless and worthless without it…
if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it
and lose all your terror of the opposition for it…
if you simply go after that thing you want
with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity,
faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity…
if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout,
sickness nor pain, of body and brain,
can keep you away from the thing that you want…
if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it,
with the help of God, you will get it!”
~ Les Brown

See you at the top!

Andrea Chua Ai Chia
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