Don’t Quit.

It may be an option, but maybe not the best one.      

People quit for many reasons.

Ask yourself these questions when you want to quit. Maybe they will help you along your way. (brought to you by an article written by Matt O’Keefe *- see below for link to Article) 

1. What makes you want to quit? – 

   It’s important to figure out specifically why you’re giving up. If you’re not sure of the reason, break the task down. Like you would if you were preparing a to-do list, divide it into all of its components so that you can go through the actions you need to take on a step-by-step basic. Now identify what’s causing you the most stress, fear and/or dread. This is similar to what’s known as  negative visualization. Often the step causing you the most difficulty is the one you’re currently working on. Or it can be something fast approaching. Whatever it is, once you know the core reason you want to quit, you’ll be able to discern the answers to the following questions and make a more well-informed decision.

2. Would you be quitting for a good reason?  

   You have to uncover whether you’re quitting out of a place of strength or out of a place of weakness. There are plenty of good reasons to quit, like if the task might cause you lasting emotional harm or you feel like your time could be better spent elsewhere. There are even more bad reasons to quit, though, like impatience, frustration or temporary hardship. Which category does your reason belong in? There are a few ways you can figure that out. You can go with a classic list with two columns, one in favor of quitting and one with in favor of sticking to it.

3. Is the end result worth the hardship?   

   You have to put a lot of yourself (blood, sweat, tears, etc.) into anything of value. That’s not up for debate. The question you need to ask yourself when you’re thinking of quitting is if what you’re getting out of the project is going to be greater than or at least equal to what you put into it. Do you believe that the hard work you’re pouring into the project is going to pay off in the end? It’s near-impossible to know for sure, but consider whether you stand a reasonable chance of recouping the time, effort and possibly money you’ve already invested and what you will also have to invest if you keep going. If you don’t think the investment will be worth the reward, it might be time to throw in the towel. But if you think you’ll be rewarded for sticking with the project then it may be worth continuing, even if it’s difficult. 

4. What makes you want to keep going? 

   The flip side of asking why you want to give up is to consider what you have to look forward to if you do decide to continue. What aspects, aside from completing your goal, seem like fun? You have to add the joy you’ll get out of those parts of the project to the benefits of the end result when deciding whether or not you truly want to quit. Consider the value of the journey as well as the value of the destination.

5. Will you regret giving up? Regret isn’t always a bad thing, but if you obsess over your decision and start to blame yourself, regret can negatively impact you emotionally, mentally and even physically. That’s why you need to consider whether or not quitting a project will lead to an excessive amount of self-rumination. If it might, quitting suddenly becomes a more risky proposition. The best thing you can do to avoid an unhealthy level of regret is reach a point in your project where you feel like you can stop without endlessly wondering “what if?” For example, don’t close a new restaurant before it even has chance to get off the ground. Leave it open for long enough that you can feel comfortable that you gave it a fair shot.

6. Why did you start in the first place? 

   It all circles around. Identify what made you decide to start your venture. Did your original motivations come from a healthy place? Do those reasons continue to hold true now? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, you’ll have more to think about before choosing to quit. Don’t expect an answer key at the end of this article. There’s no magical combination of your six answers to these questions that tells you definitively whether or not you should keep going. The decision ultimately comes down to you. Hopefully, though, these six questions give you a good starting point on your road to making the right decision.

But, Even though people do quit, here are many reasons Why You Shouldn’t. Here are some:

1. It takes many iterations for one success.  “If birds can glide for long periods of time, then… why can’t I?” -Orville Wright
2. Instant success is a myth.  “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” -Michael Jordan
3. Your success might matter more than you think it does. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” -Abraham Lincoln.
4. The most worthwhile things are not easy. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” -Pablo Picasso
5. 5. You might not have tried the right thing yet. “If I have done the public any service, it is due to my patient thought.” -Isaac Newton.
6. Tenacity matters more than talent. “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.” -Mark Twain
7. Your past does not determine your future.“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” -Bill Cosby

And More – Beliefs of People Who didn’t Quit

1. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. “I don’t expect you to believe in my dream how I believe in my dream. It’s MY dream. I’m not putting my dream on anybody else and I don’t care what anybody else thinks of my dream. It’s up to me!” –Eric Thomas
3. “The most genius thing that we did was… we didn’t give up.” – Jay-Z
4. “Don’t avoid the temptation to quit, fight it. Fight your desire to quit with the power of your dream and the urge to quit with your fear of regret. Fight the urge to quit with your inner strength and your inner voice, that’s telling you that no matter what – you must keep going, you are built for this!” –Jeffrey I. Moore

Strategies to Help You to Not Quit

1. Adopt An “I Won’t Quit” Mindset. Say these things to help you adopt an “I Won’t quit Mindset”
   1. I persist when things get tough.
   2. I will either find a way or make one.
   3. Every problem has a solution, and I have the perfect ability to find it.
   4. Every day I gain more knowledge and insight about what works and what doesn’t, which means I’m getting stronger and wiser.
   5. Setbacks are temporary.
   6. I will find a way through this.
   7. Think! What’s the best thing to do now?
2. Watch Someone Else Persevere
3. Call Someone
4. Go Back to Your Why
5. Find a Different Why
6. Succeed at Something Else – Try something like this in whatever area resonates with you personally:
   1. Write a brilliant blog post that will get you lots of social media shares (bask in the glow of the online attention).
   2. Increase the length of your runs and complete a 10K (take a selfie as soon as you cross the finish line and send it to all your friends).
   3. Try a new recipe and have people over for dinner (give yourself kudos every time someone asks for the recipe or wants seconds).
   4. Drop one pant size in a month and go out and get yourself a great new pair of jeans (smile graciously as people compliment you on how great you look).
7. Use Failure as a Stepping Stone 

More reasons why giving up might be the worst decision you make:

1. There is a difference between “putting an idea away” vs “giving up.”
2. Quitting will make you less productive.
3. You might associate “giving up” with failure
4. Quitting might encourage the habit
5. Your reputation suffers
6. You’ll never know what it could have been.
7. You practice unhealthy “self talk”.
8. You might lose faith in yourself.

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Don’t Quit!  (author unknown)

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
And the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When the care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is weird with its twists and its 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.

The distant goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

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 mustn’t quit!

Why not put the truth found in this poem into practice this week?

Your biggest success may be just around the next corner. But, you will never know if you throw in the towel.

Learn to let your challenges bring you to a whole new level. Anything great in life always comes with a high price tag. With that in mind, get back to your next project and see it through to the end! “

Keeping Chipping Away – keep plugging along – The Story of Rabbi Akiba

A shepherd was tending flock in the hills of Judah. He became thirsty and went to his favorite brook in the hills to take a drink. As he was drawing the crystal clear water in his palm and putting it to his mouth, something caught his eye. He saw drops of water falling on a huge stone – drip, drop – and directly where the drops were falling there was a deep hole in the stone. The shepherd was fascinated. He gazed at the drops and at the stone.

“What mighty power there is in a drop of water,” thought the shepherd. “Could my stony heart ever be softened up that way?”

“Hello, Akiba! What are you gazing at?” It was Rachel, his master’s daughter. She was wise and kind and fair.

“Look what the little drops of water did to the rock,” Akiba exclaimed. “Do you think there is hope for me? Suppose I began to study the Torah, little by little, drop by drop. Do you think my stony heart would soften up?”

“O yes! Akiba. If you persevere, if you keep it up as these drops of water.”

But I am forty years old! Is it not too late to start?”

“O no, Akiba. It is never too late. If you promise to learn our holy Torah, I know you will not be ignorant for long.”

The shepherd gazed at the drops of water for a long time, and then his mind was made up.

And this is how Akiba the shepherd became the great Rabbi Akiba, the greatest and wisest scholar and teacher of his day, who had 24 thousand pupils! He often told them that it was a drop of water that changed his life.

More Resources:

• 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up 
• Six Things to Ask Yourself When You Want to Quit*
• 8 Reasons Why Giving Up is the Worst Choice
• Why We Quit
• How to Not Give Up
• 30 Best Napoleon Hill Quotes on Success
• Napoleon Hill 3 Feet from Gold Story