“Never, never, never give up.”
~ Winston Churchill
I think that this is one of the most important quotes that I have ever read. There are so many times in life that we find ourselves discouraged by our surroundings, our situation, or the lack of desired results. When you find yourself wanting to quit, it’s so important to step back, take a breath, and gain some perspective on your situation.
When I get into a pinch and want to let go and give up, I like to remind myself of these quotes and think about these important truths of life:
1. Patience is a Choice, and it Goes a Long Way Toward Persistence
“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” ~ Napoleon Hill
Remember that patience is a choice. We need patience when we continually face opposition, challenges, and negativity. The fabled tortoise won the race with steady ambition, not flashy force. So choose to be patient today by telling yourself, “I am a patient person,” and by remembering that your patient persistence will always beat hasty frustration.
2. Failure is Actually a Stepping Stone to Success
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” ~ Colin Powell
Failure is not a pretty word, not a pretty situation, and not a pretty feeling. Today I want you to reframe the word failure for yourself. Think about it this way:
First
Attempts
Involve
Learning situations that provide
Unbeatable
Respect and
Experience
Your failures are what will ultimately make you credible to your clients, your staff, your friends, and your family if you choose to live through them and grow through them, so don’t give up!
3. One More Try WILL Be the Difference Maker in Your Success
“Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” ~ Denis Waitley
In reality, you only need to try one more time. Right? Then you only need to try one more time. After that you only need to try one more time. If you can just focus on trying once more, you will look back someday soon and realize the incredible progress that you have made by simply trying one more time.
4. Initial Efforts May Suck, But that Doesn’t Mean You Should Give Up
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” ~ Octavia Butler
I’m a writer. A lifelong writer in fact. I realized last year that I have been writing fairly consistently for 15 years now. I will honestly say that the first 14 years of my writing was mostly garbage. You can find it if you Google around, but I wouldn’t recommend reading a single word of it. Only after years of persistence and continual effort have I been able to finally find my writing “voice” and produce good content.
Your goals are just like this sometimes. It takes a lot of failure to reach success. A lot of failed projects, a lot of failed design, a lot of failed code. Failure in dieting, failure in working out, failure in marriage, failure in friendship, failure in business, and failure in learning.
Don’t give up yet. Get up for one more round. Try again my friend. I understand with deep intimacy what failure feels like, tastes like, and results in. That doesn’t mean you should quit.
Take it from me; after 14 years of terrible writing, I now make a living writing. If you can stick with it long enough, you can also achieve success!
5. You Control Your Success, Not Others
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
Don’t allow yourself to believe the lie that your success or failure is dependent on someone else. Always remember that your own resolution to succeed will always be the final deciding factor in your ultimate success.
Don’t give up today because you encountered an obstacle. Keep going. As you learn from your failures, you can shift and adjust your goals as needed, but don’t quit.
You should never be bull headed and ignorantly pound away without taking time to consider what you can learn from your experience to date. But always remember that your success is up to you.
Excuses will never get you anywhere.
Being negative will never get you anywhere.
Make the choice of success today and stick with it. Never, never, never give up my friend.
Your success lies in just one more try.