Success is within your grasp—if you can master the art of perseverance and avoid the common pitfalls of giving up.
Too many people give up because what they are attempting takes more time and effort than they expected. They give up too soon.
Others give up before they even make an attempt at what they want. Some quit before starting, worrying they will fail—even when they see others succeed, proving it can be done.
Still, others are afraid to pursue their goals and face the outcomes, fearing they may lose status with their community, family, or friends should they fail.
The only people who succeed are those who persevere to get what they want. They succeed where others fail because they continue until they reach their goal. Those who get what often ignore the opinions of others, allowing them to stay focused on their own actions and the steps they take forward.
People who tell you that you cannot do something reveal more about themselves than about you. At one time, several of my friends suggested I would not achieve what I set out to do, which was take a chance moving thousands of miles to California.
I ended up in Los Angeles, living in Hollywood, surrounded by drug dealers, pimps, and ne'er-do-wells. It was hard, but I managed to start a new life that was entirely different than my old life. Some of my friends back home said they would do the same, but they were only talking, and only a few poseurs followed through.
Why People Give Up Too Soon
You can live your life only once, so there is no reason to give up on what you want. Once you give up, it becomes easier to quit the next thing you want and the next idea you want to pursue.
This pattern can cause others to believe you lack the intestinal fortitude to succeed, lowering your status in their eyes.
The more you talk about what you are going to do without taking action, the less likely people will be to join you in your endeavors.
What’s worse is that when you give up, you must start over. If you quit on your second attempt, you lose the time and effort you’ve already invested. You’re better off pursuing what you want until you achieve it.
Steps to Persevere and Achieve Success
The author Harvey McKay worked for a company. One day, he asked a grizzled veteran when he should give up on a prospective client. The veteran replied, “They die, or you die. I would even suggest that if you find the client is pushing up daisies, you open the coffin to ensure they aren’t still trying to avoid you.”
You might spend five years pursuing a client only to fail to get so much as a phone call. Your competitor is likely doing the same. Given a long enough timeline, one of you will displace the incumbent and take over. The winner is the one who never gives up.
If you want to persevere, you’ll need these attributes and strategies:
- Be professional and stay the course: Perseverance requires professionalism and giving it time.
- Practice patience to achieve success: Stay persistent, but recognize that some things take time.
- Prospect consistently: If one contact refuses, find another who may book a meeting with you.
- Deliver value to build trust: Offer your client something worth their time—a strategy we call trading value. Without providing value, your contact will avoid a meeting that doesn’t serve them.
Key Risks of Giving Up on Success
Here are three problems associated with giving up:
- Negative traits that prevent success: A lack of discipline, avoiding hard things, lack of initiative, breaking your word, or failing to ask for help often lead to giving up.
- Damaged professional and social status: Giving up too easily can result in professional, personal, and social consequences. People expect you to stick with your pursuits until you succeed.
- Fear and doubt as success blockers: Fears and doubts are natural, but even if you fail, you can try again with the knowledge you gained from your first attempt. Start over, like so many of us who never give up.
As you reflect on this article, meditate on the concept of giving up and how it impacts your ability to succeed. Pay careful attention to the section on “Steps to Persevere and Achieve Success,” using it as a blueprint to prevent yourself from quitting prematurely.
