[WI] 5 Easy Ways to Keep Going When You Are Ready To Quit

People who are more successful than most have the uncanny ability to simply keep going at a time when everyone else seems to give up and quit.

The success you will achieve is linked to your ability to keep going long after you start getting the urge to quit.

Just like procrastination, quitting is nothing but just a bad habit, and – yet again, just like procrastination – it is often learned at a much younger age.

Think of how children don’t want to get up in the morning or finish all their homework… But you can learn how to keep on moving forward – no matter how strong the urge to quit becomes.

But before we look at how to push on, let’s first take a look at the reasons that makes you consider quitting in the first place:

1. A lack of energy: Not enough energy is the reason a runner might quit a marathon. But it’s also a common excuse for quitting other pursuits. Exhaustion, or fatigue, can be physical or mental. We are not talking hangovers or jet lag. But here are five steps to help you overcome mental exhaustion or fatigue:

• Get a proper night’s sleep (don’t be shy to sleep for eight hours – watch less TV).
• Take control of your schedule (diarise what needs to be done, not necessarily what other people want you to do, like going to the movies).
• Cut out the clutter – streamline your life.
• Eat properly – start with a healthy breakfast and eat more nutritious foods (eat organic, and although convenient, don’t go for the drive-through at all!)
• Make time and learn to switch off, put your feet up and relax.

2. A lack of focus. Too many distractions can make you think about calling it a day earlier or even quitting entirely. If you are trying to do too many things, sooner or later you are going to drop the ball. Some people, however, can manage more goals than others. Guard against feeling overwhelmed. Zoom in on your most important and more urgent goals.
3. A lack of importance. If it is not important enough to you, you might lack a good enough reason to keep going. Think about why you are doing this in the first place.

• Keep on reminding yourself why it is so important to keep going. Think of the end result. The best motivation you can find might be simply setting a good example for your children. Adopt an approach of integrity in everything that you do – to always do the right things – even when no-one is looking. The same goes for this. Self-respect may be the most important issue. Find a good reason to keep going.

When you feel the desire to quit, figure out why. It’s natural to want to quit. Most people do – some more often than others. But you can be one of the few that perseveres – it’s just a matter of keeping on to put one foot in front of the other until you’re done.

5 Easy Ways to Persevere When You Get the Urge to Quit:

1. Revisit the original purpose of your goal. Is that motivation enough? If not, find a new reason. If you can’t come up with one, that might be an indication that it is time to move onto something different. But don’t give up too quickly. Look again; look deeply. If it is worth your while, you will without doubt find a convincing reason to persist.
2. Take small steps by creating small successes. Nothing gets the motivation going like achieving some success. Lay the table for more frequent success by giving yourself easier interim goals that keep on moving you forward towards your end goal. These are like baby steps that can build the momentum you need to swoop you to the finish line. Also, focus on the task at hand and forget about the rest. It’s like driving somewhere – getting there is the goal, but first you have to drive there. Focus on that first, and the rest will fall into place.
3. Keep the final endpoint into focus. Just like peak-hour traffic, the path might not always be fun and games, but the end result should be. Keep your eye on the feeling you will experience once you’ve reached the end. Focusing on the endpoint maintains your motivation. Visualize your ideal endpoint twice each day – go as far as putting up a picture of it where you can see it all the time.
4. Don’t fall behind. Like driving to the airport to catch a flight, don’t fall behind and miss it. When your motivation starts waning, it’s easy to lose track of your goal. New activities start taking over your schedule leading to procrastination. Set up a schedule that ensure you will stay engaged. Make time so you don’t have an excuse to quit.
5. Constantly remind yourself of how you’ll feel if you allow yourself to let it slip through your fingers. Quitting and doing something different might sound good in the short-term, but in the long-term you’ll probably regret it. Think of how you will feel if you missed the flight to your dream vacation in a week, a month, or a year from now if you allow yourself to quit?

Read and learn to keep going; never give up – no matter how strong the desire to quit might be. Slow down a little, but keep on moving ahead. This is the best way to confirm your ability to be successful.

You will eventually succeed as long as you keep moving toward your goal. Just because you get mentally exhausted, you don’t have to quit every time you feel the urge to stop. Slow down a bit, but keep on moving forward…