Defining Diligence

A fantastic friend bought me a copy of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon Secrets to Success, Wealth and Happiness by Steven K. Scott. Scott, evidently, had a knack for failure – or, at the very least, set backs. He was advised by a friend to read a chapter of Proverbs every day and when he got to the end, do it again. The idea was learning from Solomon would be a sure fire way to get – and keep – one’s life on track.

The first area covered by Scott is diligence – what it is, why it is important and how to know if you have got it. You know me, I had to look the word up.

diligence – persevering application, assiduity

Assiduity? What an interesting word, I thought. What does that mean?

Assiduity – the quality or state of being assiduous (marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application)

After I read the definition of the words, I felt I had a pretty good jump-start on this diligence thing. Then I got to his checklist at the end of the chapter. Some of the items were

• Have a clear and precise vision for what you want to achieve
• Creatively persist through disappointments and failures
• Work expeditiously (with target dates)
• Work effectively (achieving effective results)
• Attain true excellence

Ummm, alrighty, maybe not a bad idea to keep reading and learning. A bit further off than I originally thought. But that’s okay, it’s all a journey of one step at a time.