How many times have you seen inspirational messages that say things like:
Never give up
Stay strong
Keep going
You’re almost there
Just a little bit further
Don’t give up
I was raised in a world that taught me quitting is failure- only losers quit. I let this belief push me beyond my limits. I let this belief limit my true potential. I stayed too long in relationships, jobs, and commitments that just weren’t working for me because I thought I HAD to keep going.
Successful people don’t quit, right? Wrong.
Earlier this year I quit my full-time corporate job and set out to get a part-time job and be self-employed part-time. Before taking this step I consulted with entreprenuers, did my research, and I had a solid plan for success. But things didn’t work out exactly as I planned. Once I was in the middle of it I discovered what I was doing wasn’t working for me. I wasn’t happy, I was struggling to stay healthy, and I wasn’t earning the income I hoped to earn. I briefly thought about sticking with my plan even though I knew it wasn’t working.
Then I thought about a small business I worked for years ago that stuck with the business model that had made them successful even as the market was changing into something new and how the business started to fail because it didn’t adapt to the changing market. The owner lost his car, his home, and eventually the business shut down- he lost everything clinging to a plan that was no longer sustainable.
I realized a life well-lived requires me to focus on what’s important and let go of everything that’s not. I can use what I’ve learned to adjust my expectations, to realign my life with my intentions, to do more of what’s important and less of what’s not. I learned when to quit.
When is it okay to give up?
When what you’re doing does not give back to you!
Today I invite you to give up anything that doesn’t make you feel excited, encouraged, motivated, hopeful, and energized. Live life on life’s terms.
Goals are important but happiness and success happens more often when your goals are flexible and adaptable. Be flexible and adaptable. Let go of expectations and guilt.
Live a life that lights you up! Sometimes in life you’ve got to give yourself a break. Sometimes in life you’ve got to give up.
I love your comments! When have you given up? Was it the right choice? Can you think of a time you didn’t give up even when you knew what you were doing wasn’t working out for you?