When it gets stormy, don your Hold Fast Gloves and keep on
Giving up may seem tempting when you get into that difficult phase in life where everything seems to take a downward toll with no result for your many efforts. Times when life gets really hard and certain goals seem out of reach. When it seems as though you cannot hang on a second longer, that is the time to hold fast and never give up.
1. Work On Your Mindset
Holding fast begins from the mind. Battles physically won are first won in the battlefield of the mind. A defeated mind is cancerous and will get you nowhere. On the other hand, having an “I won’t give up” mindset will make it much easier for you to persist in the face of the storm and refuse to give up until you achieve your goal.
Never giving up is a mindset. Adopt this mindset by constantly saying the following to yourself:
- I am not a quitter
- I persist even when things get rough and tough.
- Setbacks are temporary. I will find a way through this.
- I will find a way and if there is none, I’ll make one.
- To every problem in life, there is a solution, and I have the perfect ability to find a solution to this.
- Daily I learn and I gain more insight about what works and what doesn’t, which means I am getting stronger and wiser.
Refuse to never give up, no matter how hard it gets.
2. Be Realistic
Set realistic expectations of your goals. This can be achieved by not expecting quick results or perfectionism that allows no mistakes or failures.
For example, you may be seeking to lose weight and may think you have hit jackpot when you see an ad of a weight loss product promising quick results. Believing such an ambiguous claim that a miracle slimming tea will help you lose 100 lbs in 3 days is setting yourself up for a heart break. Good things take time. Weight loss requires discipline with diet and exercise.
In addition, avoid the trap of perfectionism from yourself or the people around you. Be kind to yourself when you fail or make mistakes, it is part of the learning process.
3. Watch Others Persevere
Listen to the people who have already gone where you want to go. We can learn greatly by watching other people. They know what works and what will not. They know the potholes where you’ll likely stumble and fail along the way and can tell you how long your journey may take. You will likely not get an exact blueprint but you’ll surely get guidance.
Knowing that there are people who have faced incredible odds and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but who nonetheless refused to quit and they managed to achieve what they were after will encourage you to hold fast. The Pursuit of Happiness and Rudy are examples of inspirational movies that can be helpful when you feel like throwing in the towel.
4. Remind Yourself Why
It is easy to lose the big picture in a busy daily routine. But if you feel like giving up then try reminding yourself why you’re doing what you are doing.
Keeping in view, the reason(s) why you want to achieve a goal, will motivate you to continue striving for that goal, even when the going gets tough. The stronger the reason(s), the less likely you will quit. Maybe it is to live healthier, make more money to support your family, keep your family safe or travel around the world.
You need to write down your reasons. Whenever you feel like giving up, simply pull out your list containing the reasons why your goal is of great importance to you. It will help you hold fast.
5. Be Accountable
When you have been chasing a particular goal for a while, without much progress and you feel like quitting, it is time to talk to someone whom you know will talk you out of giving up.
For instance, when an alcoholic decides to make a life-changing decision to stop abusing alcohol by joining Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), one of the key things AA does for them is give them a sponsor. If they ever find themselves craving a drink, they are supposed to call their sponsor so that he/she can talk them out of it and encourage them to hold fast.
You can think of this person as an “accountability partner”. Resist the urge to quit by calling that one person whom you’re sure will talk you out of giving up.
6. Go Back To The Basics
When you run into a plateau or a longer rough patch, it will be helpful to simplify, cut off the excesses and go back to the basics.
It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the information out there about any step in life. Trying to do too much at once can lead to confusion and frustration. In such situations, it is important to simply focus on the basic fundamentals.
7. Tell Yourself It’s Just for Today!
“Just for today I will…” is a powerful phrase to say to yourself when it’s hard to go on.
For example, “Just for today I will eat healthy,” “Just for today I will exercise,” or “Just for today I will complete a task before taking a break”.
Telling yourself this will trick your mind that you only have to do it today and this will release the mental pressure of the past times you did it and future times when you will do it. Therefore, the inner resistance melts away and the task feels easier to achieve.
8. Do It Differently
Sometimes it is not time to give up. It may simply be time to change your approach.
If you feel like giving up or you are bored a lot, if you feel no real passion or excitement or curiosity about a change or your current path then ask yourself these two questions:
Not giving up doesn’t mean that you should keep doing the same thing over and over again. If your current approach isn’t working, try a different approach. Try and try until you find a method or strategy that works.
Say to yourself that, “I refuse to give up until I have tried all possible ways.”
A new way of doing what you want might just be a better fit and turn out to be more enjoyable for you.
9. Succeed At Something Else
One way to hold fast is to take a break and do something else that you can succeed at. This will remind you of what success feels like. And that euphoria is sure to sustain you a while longer while you take another shot at your goal.
10. Set Constant Reminders
Do you need a constant reminder to help you hold fast when things feel very difficult and at those times when you feel like giving up and going home? Our hold fast T-shirts and gloves are that perfect insignia. Click here to order. HOLD FAST brand believes everyone needs an extra layer of positive reminder to inspire and encourage them to finish what they started.
In conclusion, achieving a worthwhile goal is not easy. Somewhere in the journey, your grit will be tested and you’ll be tempted to give up. However, when you want to quit, push yourself to keep taking consistent action – no matter how little – towards the achievement of your goal. Remember that just because you can’t see anything yet doesn’t mean that nothing is happening.
Hold fast; remember it is darkest before the dawn!
