Motivation

Quitting Is Not An Option

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When you start out pursuing a new endeavor or enacting a lifestyle change where you and you alone are responsible for keeping at it, you’ve got to firmly decide from day one that quitting is not an option. If you give yourself even the smallest out, telling yourself you’re committed but still having that exit strategy in the back of your head, you’ll probably end up taking it.

Your best chance at ultimate success is to burn those proverbial ships, to not allow yourself any excuses or rationalizations. Most of us are pretty good at accomplishing what we set out to do as long as there is  a carrot dangling in front of us or a cow prod poking us from behind, if there’s some form of authority keeping us on track. But left to our own devices, it’s easy to get dispirited, and when no one is there to push us along we fall back on that ready made excuse, washing our hands of the whole thing.

Refusing to quit is not the same thing as bullheaded stubbornness. It’s okay to change directions, to respond to new or unforeseen circumstances in an intelligent way, but this is really like taking a different path to get through the same forest, which is much different than giving up. Unless you get really lucky there are going to be challenges and setbacks that make you want to give up. Your unwavering commitment from the get go that quitting is not an option is your best defense against them.