Being Relentless: The Fifth Tenet of the WayMaker Code
We arrive now at a tenet that separates aspirations from achievements, dreams from reality: Be Relentless. In the journey of a WayMaker, relentlessness is not about being harsh, unforgiving, or rigid. Rather, it's about maintaining steadfast commitment to your purpose, pursuing your goals with determination and persistence, and refusing to surrender to obstacles or discouragement. It's the grit that transforms vision into impact.
What Does It Mean to Be Relentless?
Relentlessness is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean:
- Being ruthless or trampling others
- Never resting or burning out
- Rigidly refusing to adapt
- Pursuing goals at the expense of integrity or relationships
Rather, being relentless means:
Unwavering Commitment: You're clear about what you're pursuing and committed to it deeply. You don't abandon your vision at the first sign of difficulty.
Persistent Effort: You consistently take action toward your goals. You don't expect success to happen overnight or through minimal effort.
Resilience Through Setbacks: You encounter failures, obstacles, and discouragement, but you get back up and continue. You view setbacks as information rather than indicators of futility.
Strategic Adjustment: You remain relentless about your vision while remaining flexible about how you pursue it. You adjust tactics based on what you learn.
Purposeful Action: Your relentlessness is directed toward meaningful goals aligned with your values, not toward empty ambition or self-serving outcomes.
The Power of Relentlessness
Consider the achievers in any field—in business, the arts, athletics, social change, science. Behind almost every significant achievement is a story of relentless pursuit. Not genius. Not luck. Not extraordinary talent, though these sometimes play a role. But most of all, persistence.
It Separates Dreamers from Builders: Many people have dreams. Fewer act on them. Fewer still persist when the work gets hard. Relentlessness separates those who talk about their vision from those who build it.
It Compounds Over Time: Small, consistent efforts accumulate. The person who writes 500 words a day for a year produces a manuscript. The entrepreneur who follows up with persistence closes deals others miss. The activist who shows up consistently changes culture.
It Builds Momentum: There's something remarkable that happens when you persist through initial resistance. Momentum builds. What seemed impossible becomes possible. Opportunities appear.
It Creates Credibility: Others notice and respect relentlessness. People want to support those they see are genuinely committed. Relentless people attract partners, mentors, and resources.
The Challenge of Relentlessness
Relentlessness is difficult in modern life for several reasons:
Immediate Gratification Culture: We're accustomed to instant results. If something doesn't work quickly, we abandon it for the next thing. Building something significant takes time.
Overwhelm and Burnout: We live in an age of endless opportunity and unlimited tasks. It's easy to burn out trying to do everything. Genuine relentlessness is sustainable; burnout is not.
Fear of Failure: Fear paralyzes us. We stop trying because we fear we might fail. Relentlessness requires moving through fear.
Shifting Standards: When we encounter resistance, we sometimes question whether we're pursuing the right thing. Sometimes that's wise adjustment. Sometimes it's fear-driven retreat.
Social Pressure: Not everyone will understand or support your pursuit. Some will actively discourage you. Relentlessness requires the inner strength to continue despite external doubt.
The Practice of Being Relentless
1. Clarify Your Purpose
Relentlessness requires knowing what you're relentless about. Get clear on your vision. What are you building? What change are you creating? What impact are you pursuing? This clarity sustains you through difficulty.
2. Break It Into Small, Actionable Steps
Large visions can feel overwhelming. Break your goal into smaller milestones. Then identify specific, actionable steps you can take regularly. This makes the vision manageable and creates momentum.
3. Establish Consistent Habits and Routines
Relentlessness is built through consistent action. Establish routines and habits that move you toward your goal. Show up daily. Write every day. Practice every day. Call every day. Over time, consistency creates results.
4. Track Your Progress
Measure what matters. Know how you're progressing toward your goals. This visibility keeps you motivated and helps you adjust course when needed.
5. Build Your Support System
Relentlessness is easier with support. Find accountability partners, mentors, or communities committed to similar goals. Surround yourself with people who encourage your relentless pursuit.
6. Develop Resilience Practices
Obstacles and setbacks are inevitable. Develop practices that help you recover from them:
- Reflection and learning from failure
- Physical exercise and self-care
- Meaningful community and relationships
- Spiritual practices that connect you to purpose
- Mental frameworks that interpret failure as information rather than identity
7. Know When to Persist and When to Pivot
Relentlessness isn't rigidity. Sometimes pursuing your vision requires adjusting your approach. But beware of abandoning your goal at the first sign of difficulty. Ask:
- Is this obstacle temporary or fundamental?
- Have I actually given this sufficient effort?
- What can I learn to adjust my approach?
- Am I running from difficulty or toward something better?
Make these distinctions carefully.
Relentlessness and Ethics
An important caveat: relentlessness must be paired with integrity. Relentlessness in pursuit of unjust goals creates harm. A relentless person committed to upholding truth (the fourth tenet) pursues their vision through ethical means.
The most effective relentlessness is that which serves something larger than self-interest. A businessperson relentlessly pursuing profit at any cost will eventually face consequences. One relentlessly serving customers while running a profitable business creates something sustainable.
Stories of Relentlessness
History is filled with stories of relentless people:
Thomas Edison famously tried thousands of iterations before creating a practical light bulb. His relentlessness created technology that transformed civilization.
Rosa Parks relentlessly pursued justice, setting in motion the civil rights movement through her refusal to yield to unjust treatment.
Oprah Winfrey came from poverty and faced numerous obstacles, but her relentless pursuit of excellence and service created remarkable impact.
Steve Jobs pursued his vision for what technology could be relentlessly, despite setbacks, competition, and near-bankruptcy.
These people didn't have advantages you don't have. They had relentlessness—the refusal to quit despite obstacles.
The Marathon, Not the Sprint
An important distinction: relentlessness is not about burning bright and burning out. It's about sustainable, long-term commitment. Think marathon, not sprint.
This means:
- Taking care of your physical and mental health
- Maintaining meaningful relationships
- Balancing ambition with contentment
- Celebrating progress along the way
- Allowing for rest and renewal
Relentlessness sustained over decades is more powerful than intensity that burns out in months.
Your Relentless Pursuit
As a WayMaker, you're invited to pursue your vision relentlessly. Whether you're building a business, raising a family, creating art, pursuing social change, or developing yourself—be relentless. Don't be swayed by obstacles. Don't quit when it gets hard. Don't let others' doubt become your doubt.
But also be wise. Stay connected to your purpose. Maintain your integrity. Take care of yourself and your relationships. Adjust your tactics when appropriate. Be relentlessly committed to your vision while remaining flexible about how you pursue it.
The world needs people who persist. Who don't give up. Who stay committed to their vision despite obstacles. Be one of those people.
Your relentlessness might be the difference between a dream and a reality. Between potential and impact. Between inspiration and actually changing the world.
