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InteractiveResource . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
InteractiveResource . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Perseverance and Flourishing | Seminar

Authors: Centre for African Positive Psychology (CAP); Abrahams, Sean;

Perseverance and Flourishing | Seminar

Abstract

This seminar explores the VIA character strength of perseverance as a core contributor to academic success, resilience, and long-term flourishing in higher education. Perseverance is defined as the capacity to sustain effort and commitment toward meaningful goals despite difficulty, delay, or setback. Drawing on positive psychology, resilience research, and goal pursuit theory, the seminar examines how perseverance supports adaptive coping, self-regulation, and achievement without promoting burnout. Participants are guided through reflective exercises, applied scenarios, multiple-choice knowledge checks, and implementation planning using the WOOP (Wish–Outcome–Obstacle–Plan) framework. The seminar distinguishes optimal use of perseverance from both underuse (avoidance, discouragement, withdrawal) and overuse (rigidity, exhaustion, burnout), encouraging balanced and sustainable goal pursuit. Through structured reflection and behavioural planning, students develop strategies to maintain effort under pressure while protecting well-being. This resource is designed for university contexts and may be used in leadership development, student success initiatives, mentoring programmes, and personal development curricula. Learning Outcomes By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: Define perseverance as a VIA character strength and explain its role in academic and personal flourishing. Differentiate between optimal use, underuse, and overuse of perseverance in a university context. Identify common barriers to sustained effort, including fixed mindset, burnout, and discouragement after setbacks. Apply practical strategies (goal-setting, growth mindset, support-seeking, structured planning) to strengthen perseverance. Develop a personalised implementation plan using the WOOP framework to sustain effort toward a meaningful academic or personal goal. Recognise the relationship between perseverance and resilience, self-discipline, and long-term achievement without compromising wellbeing.

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    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
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    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average