Every time you feel like giving up, it’s your brain that is trying to tell you something.
It’s as if it is sending you a notification, a sign telling you to stop and pay attention. Take a long, hard look at the situation you find yourself in. This is incredibly important to acknowledge because your brain is trying to help you solve a problem.
So what should you do?
Take some time to think through the problem of giving up.
Step 1. Ask yourself what’s behind your habit of giving up all the time.
Is it fear of not being able to do something successfully, or perhaps more successfully than others?
Is it your lack of knowledge in something that’s needed in order to complete a task?
Is it because you find the work overwhelming — there’s too much of it or it takes too long so you always run out of time?
Step 2. Identify one thing you can do to overcome the obstacle.
If you have fear of not being successful, what will it take to get rid of the fear? Can you practice one skill on a regular basis to make the obstacle appear less intimidating?
If you lack knowledge, where and how can you learn what you need? Which resources, books, films, podcasts, classes, or people can you learn from?
If you find the work overwhelming, how can you make it less overwhelming? Are there any techniques can you use (for example, the Pomodoro technique) to manage your time better?
Step 3. Make progress every day in small steps.
Start your morning with this question: What is the one thing I am committed to completing today? This will force you to prioritize your tasks so that you focus on only one. The benefit is that you direct all your energy to completing one task at a time, which makes your work more manageable.
Use a timer to divide up your day. Set your timer to 30 or 60 minute increments, or use the Pomodoro technique for a shorter time sprint. The benefit is that your brain will focus better when it’s working in shorter increments, and you’re less likely to get tired and demotivated to continue.
Take frequent breaks. When you’re done with a segment of work, step away and do something to re-energize: take a short walk, eat a snack, listen to music, do a mini workout to get more oxygen flowing to your brain, or read a few pages of the book you have on your nightstand.
Step 4. Remember why you started doing something.
Ask yourself, Why am I doing this? Finding out the answer will help you keep in mind the bigger picture, instead of feeling lost in the challenges you are currently facing from day to day.
Remember the initial reasons for starting to do something. Maybe at the time you wanted to learn a new skill, or you started researching a topic that interests you, or you’re studying for an exam so you can graduate and get a job, or you’re an entrepreneur exploring a business opportunity. Remember what it was and why you were so excited about it.
Step 5. Next time you feel like giving up, read what Seth Godin wrote.
Seth Godin is an American author and former dot com business executive. You can read his work on his website. He has a unique outlook on quitting which he summarized it a fun little book called The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). In a nutshell Godin says:
Quitting isn’t necessarily bad, and even winners quit all the time. However, they quit “the right stuff at the right time.”
In making a decision whether to quit or not, ask yourself: Is the pain worth the benefit of the light at the end of the tunnel?
It’s OK to quit what’s wrong for you and keep doing what’s right. “Have the guts to do one or the other.”