Alabama Shakes is my new favourite musical obsession. I tend to get fixated on a band (or sometimes just an album. I have occasionally ended up obsessing over a single track). I love their funky, soulful rock. And Brittney Howard’s voice … magical.

Anyway, they have a track called Hold On. It is about … well, holding on. The lyrics are;

Bless my heart, bless my soul.
Didn’t think I’d make it to 22 years old.
There must be someone up above sayin’,
“Come on, Brittany, you got to come on up.
You got to hold on…
Hey, you got to hold on…”

So, bless my heart and bless yours too.
I don’t know where I’m gonna go
Don’t know what I’m gonna do.
There must be somebody up above sayin’,
“Come on, Brittany, you got to come on now!
You got to hold on…
Hey, you got to hold on…”

“Yeah! You got to wait!
Yeah! You got to wait!”
But I don’t wanna wait!
No, I don’t wanna wait…

So, bless my heart and bless my mind.
I got so much to do, I ain’t got much time
So, must be someone up above saying,
“Come on, girl! Yeah, you got to get back up!
You got to hold on…
Yeah, you got to hold on…”

“Yeah! You got to wait!”
I don’t wanna wait!
But I don’t wanna wait!
No, I don’t wanna wait!

You got to hold on…
You got to hold on…
You got to hold on…
You got to hold on…

The track is well worth checking out.

But more than just the music, the lyrics really hit home with me. I am increasingly clear in my mind that the solution to most of the challenges I face and the success I want to achieve, is holding on. Also; Grit. Determination. Never-say-die. Bloody mindedness. Focus. But most of all, just holding on and keeping doing what needs to be done, over and over again.

I guess in that way, business and endurance sports share something – you need to persist to succeed. There is no overnight success – work is what is required. I love that. What it means is that luck plays only a small part. Much more important is the strength to just hold on, which comes from the belief that it (whatever ‘it’ is) will work out in the end.

So I’m going to listen to this Alabama Shakes track when I need to remind myself – you gotta hold on.