What do you do when you feel like giving up?

What do you do when you feel like giving up?

I have gone through this often.

Suddenly amid everything, sometimes I feel like nothing is happening as expected. Frustrated with anger, I would desperately want to quit.

But then I remember the study from the University of Pennsylvania that showed "grit is the characteristic linked most closely to success".

What is grit? - Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals despite significant obstacles.

I would think, why not use some grit...?

Here’s what I try to remind myself of when I feel like giving up…

1. Discomfort is temporary

As Lance Amstrong - the American cyclist, says, "Pain is temporary. If I quit, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?".

When I remind myself that "Pain is temporary and your accomplishment is permanent", I will again bounce back and start working.?

2. The human mind is a suggestion engine

The human mind is the trickiest thing in the world. Every single thought that arises in your mind is a gentle suggestion.

Right now, my mind is suggesting that I am tired or it's impossible. It is suggesting to give up and take an easier path.

But I don't immediately listen to my mind and do what it says. I pause for a moment and try to discover a new and better suggestion. I will think about how good I will feel if I work hard and complete this work at hand.

So, I have the choice of choosing the suggestions and decide which one I follow. Either give up or work further with grit.

3. I will never regret hard work in the end

I remind myself, the day I completed my 1st Half Marathon.

Running 21 kilometres was an impossible and a herculean task for me. I went through miserable pain and endured this intense feeling of quitting all the while. Especially last few kilometres were the most difficult ones.

But, somehow, I pushed myself to the finish line and completed the race successfully. What I realised at that moment is, "when the finish medal was adorned on me, all those struggles and pain just vanished away in a moment".

Thinking about results and outcomes will help manage the temporary pain and struggles.

4. This is how life is

I am a great fan of Dr Scott Peck and his lovely book "The Road Less Traveled". He starts the 1st chapter with these words of profound wisdom.

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once, we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters".

Life is a constant balance between giving in to the ease of distraction or overcoming the pain of discipline.

So, what do I do when I feel like giving up? I show up, pull my sleeves and get to work with all my grit.?

Just show up and do what you are supposed to do.

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Sivakumar Palaniappan is a Professional Speaker, Consultant and Coach on Mindset Strategies. He works closely with organisations and managers in nurturing a Leadership Mindset in helping them grow their People, Business and Profit. Siva is genuinely passionate about assisting people in transforming themselves into inspiring leaders.

More about Siva @ www.sivaspeaks.com.