“They’ve given up!” The commentator remarked on the attitude of the team getting trounced by its opponent on national TV. He pointed out some of the signs: its weakened stance, its lack of execution, its on field demeanor. The final score proved his point.
I don’t know which side of the score you might be on, or what you’re going through now, but I know there are at least 10 reasons you shouldn’t give up.
1. YOU’VE LEARNED BY YOUR CHALLENGES.
Whatever you do next, you will do with the knowledge you’ve gained during this venture. Now you know what works and what doesn’t, what must be avoided or included. You’re an expert by experience.
2. YOU MAY BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO SOMETHING MORE EXCITING.
Invention is the step-child of adversity. The tweaks you’ve made out of necessity may result in the birth of something far greater than what you dreamed in the planning stage.
3. YOUR TEAMMATES NEED TO SEE YOUR DETERMINATION.
People not only notice your grace, they also notice you grit. “Giving up” simply teaches your team how to “give in” to stuff; “going on” teaches it how to get through.
4. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO KEEP GOING.
The venture has been a personal investment. You’ve spent time and energy. You, and those around you, have paid a price that needs a payoff.
5. YOUR PAUSE MAY BE THE REFRESHER.
You turned off the computer, dimmed the lights, and shut the door. But somewhere between that scene and the next, your mind will do a rewind. A second thought may be the game winner.
6. YOU ONLY HAVE TO PROVE YOUR EFFORT.
The outcome doesn’t have to change the outlook. The grandstanders are waiting to see people on the playing field, not those sitting on the bench. It matters as much that you’re IN than if you WIN.
7. YOU MAY BE ONLY ONE QUESTION AWAY FROM A SOLUTION.
A colleague may have gone through something like this. The challenge may strengthen your relationship with a person whose skill and experience will give you a missing link.
8. YOU BEGAN BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
What you’re going through began as a mission. In your mind and heart, you were the answer to a solution—the gap-filler. You still are!
9. YOUR RESOLVE WILL BE SOMEONE’S POINT OF REFERENCE.
Somebody needs to know how to reach the mountaintop in spite of the obstacles. You will be their inspiration, their push to the top.
10. YOUR PERSISTENCE HAS ALREADY MADE YOU A WINNER.
Obviously the percentages are on the side of the quitters. But the trophies keep going to those who keep trying.
In George W. Bush’s biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, he tells the story of an Olympic runner that fell far behind in the race, and limped toward the finish line. The runner answered those who though he should quit, “My country didn’t send me all this way to start the race; they sent me here to finish it.”
So, keep going!
–Stan Toler
