This post originally appeared here in Illumination.
Make Sure You Look Back Years From Now And Be Proud
t’s been a long tiring day. Things are just not turning out the way you had expected. Maybe it’s not worth the while. Maybe you should quit.
Are you tempted to throw in the towel?
Everyone baffle with this choice at some point in their life. It’s easy to stay high when everything looks good and life is going your way. However, when the smoke clears and all the excitement is gone, what’s left is plain old work.
During times like these, how do you stay motivated and follow through on your goals?
To ensure you’re not giving up too soon for the wrong reasons, here are 7 questions you need to ask yourself.
1. Why are you quitting
You need to be clear on why you decide to abandon the task. How far in on the project are you? Have you counted the cost of giving up considering the amount of time and resources you have invested in the goal?
Maybe you’re finding it difficult to fit the time and effort required for the goal into your current schedule. Instead of totally abandoning the idea, consider other ways you can work around it.
Whatever it is, once you’ve identified the causes, you can be more aware of the next steps.
2. Are your reasons stronger than your "why"?
The “why” isn’t just the reason you do what you do, it’s the consistent reminder that helps you stay grounded. It is the motive that keeps you energized and focused. It’s your cause, your purpose, and the drive that got you on the track in the first place.
Are you allowing an insignificant distraction to pull you off-course? Sometimes all it takes is just a little reorganization of priorities and a little more clarity to see your way through the storm. If your “why” is stronger than your excuses, this is no time to consider quitting. Think again about how badly you want this.
Courage is not about having the strength to go on: it is going on when you don't have the strength.
— Theodore Roosevelt
Photo by Maria Teneva on Unsplash
3. Is it worth the fight?
You know for sure what got you geared up enough to kick-start the activity. There was a spark, an inspiration, a trophy that’s waiting at the end. You understood that there will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears involved.
Do you believe the reward at the end of the day is worth the fight? Everything in life worth having doesn’t come easy. You won’t be able to know for sure how things will turn out, but consider the chances of you making it if you’d just be willing to go a little bit more.
If you can see it in your mind’s eye, your dream is definitely alive and kicking. Then maybe quitting won’t be an option after all.
4. What might motivate you to persist?
Some might call it an optical illusion, but can you see the end of the rainbow? In other words, if you have achieved your aim, what aspect of that side of life would seem like fun?
Would it be having more valuable time for yourself, better financial standing, an alternative lifestyle, or a dream career out of that achievement?
It’s easier for you to stick to your game plan when you know there is something to look forward to.
You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.
— George Lucas
Photo by Maria Teneva on Unsplash
5. Will you be proud of yourself?
Sometimes, a decision is made on the spur of the moment without much thought about the future.
Granted, there may be a myriad of reasons why you are considering giving up. However, at one point, you really wanted to make it. Will this decision make you look back with regret years from now?
To avoid wandering aimlessly on “what if’s” you have to be certain that sticking to your goals is as easy as simply resisting the urge to quit.
6. Can you let go of the small stuff?
You must remember that life happens, and it will continue to happen. You can’t be worrying or getting affected about every single negative thing that comes up.
Original Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash
Maybe you need to refocus on what you have instead of fretting over the things that you don’t. It helps to be able to see things from a different perspective. If you’re willing to quit sweating the small stuff, you can be more focused on your goals. Suddenly, you won’t feel like giving up anymore.
7. Are you in good company?
This may be most obvious when it comes to staying on track. Positivity is contagious. So does negativity. If you are hanging out with people who are not passionate about what you’re pursuing, or worse, if they downright discourage you, then your motivation might dwindle out.
It’s important to have amazing people in your corner because this will help you realize how valuable you are and how possible it is for you to push towards greatness.
Keep your eyes on the goal
There you have it.
You just need to get something off the ground in order to have a taste of how it feels like. There’s a lot that goes towards building a dream. For many, it’s an uphill climb like no other.
You may need to do a whole lot more than just survive. You need to thrive. You need to push through. You need to drown out distractions. In the process, you will discover your hidden strength and power, which comes from within. Understand that tough times will come, but that does not mean you should call it quits.
Remember that motivation is required to jumpstart your efforts, but inspiration will sustain you when you don’t feel like showing up.
There is nothing too hard if you’d just stay focused.
