HOW TO KEEP GOING WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP
HOW TO KEEP GOING WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP
Become who you are
“Life is a breeze!” Said no one ever. And if they did, they’d be lying. I don’t care how perfect your life is, how many clothes you’ve got hanging in your closet, how many vacations you take a year or how much money you’ve got in the bank. Everyone experiences personal struggles and setbacks. No one has ever coasted through life to sweet success without experiencing their own challenges. And it is how you are able to push past those difficult moments when it seems like you’re swimming against the tide that will determine just how far you’ll get.
I’ve always found great inspiration in stories of seemingly ordinary people who are able to extraordinary things. People just like you and me who are able to shatter expectation and rise to unimaginable heights. People who are able to will themselves onwards despite all the challenges and obstacles that life throws at them. What is it that sets them apart and elevates them to the upper echelons of success and personal achievement? The answer is simply: PERSEVERANCE. It is perseverance that pushes the fatigued runner across the finish line. It is perseverance that pushes the weary spirit onward when it seems there is no hope. And it is perseverance that will get you to your goal, no matter how far or how difficult it may seem. Of course, in matters of the mind, it’s easier said than done.
So how do you keep going when you feel like you just can’t anymore? How do you persevere when you feel like you’ve given your all and you’ve nothing left to give? First, and most importantly, you must be absolutely resolute that you will keep going, no matter how hard it will get. If it means that you have to double back and start again, or if means that you’ll have to work harder, quitting should never be an option. It will be tempting. The harder the journey gets the more tempting it will be. Which is why you must be able to draw from your inner resources and keep pushing on even when the going gets tough.
"Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit."
- Unknown
Second, you must never lose sight of what you’re working towards. That ever-elusive goal, no matter how far away it may seem, must always be your anchor. In the times of great difficulty, knowing that whatever it is you’re working towards – that degree, starting that business, or training for that marathon - will be worth it the end. Keeping your goal in mind and visualizing yourself reaching that goal is an effective way to keep yourself motivated when it feels like you’re running on empty.
Third, you must be willing to work hard. There is nothing that is worth having that isn’t worth working for. Ask Oprah. Or Usain Bolt. Or J.K. Rowling. Pick one. Each one of these people have reached a level of success that most of us dare not dream about. But it certainly did not come easy. It is through commitment and dedication to working hard, and continuing to work hard, even in the face if grinding adversity.
"The race is not for the swift, nor is the battle for the strong,
but for the one who endures to the end.”
And last, pace yourself. As a child my grandmother would tell me that “the race is not for the swift, nor is the battle for the strong, but for the one who endures to the end”. It is important to remind yourself that just because you’re not where you want to be now, doesn’t mean you won’t ever get there. What matters is that you are able to keep on keeping on. Even when it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, or the night is eternal. The sweetest reward comes after the hardest struggle. You keep going.
Alicia is a full-time writer/blogger and aspiring multi-hyphenate. Born in Toronto and raised in Jamaica, she now calls Montreal home. With a background in Broadcast-Journalism and a passion for inspiring through her writing, Alicia enjoys writing and creating content for the millennial woman. You can read more of her work at www.aluestory.com.