I think this is one quote which I can relate to quite strongly, especially whenever I think of all those goals which took quite an effort to come true. If we look back at all of those big things we have achieved so far in life, I am sure there is this one thought that would have crossed our minds – about quitting the whole process.
I have had it during my study days when I felt the subjects were too tough, or the days when my job felt very annoying and the days when I wondered if my entrepreneurial effort was going to succeed or not.
When you feel like quitting: How badly did you want it?
I guess that is beauty of things and I remember the quote from Randy Pausch quite vividly here when he says – “ The brick walls are there for a reason”. And I think nothing could be truer than that. And of course the challenges we are after are not simple, they are not easy and of course they need a lot of effort. It is natural that we feel like quitting when things don’t work for us. But what defines the right time?
When we are on these long, arduous journeys, there sure are times when things get really tough and there is a question at the back of our mind which keeps asking – “Is this all worth it? What if this entire thing goes a waste? There has been so much of hard work I have put in, what about that?” . In other words, does it lead you to – when you feel like quitting?
These are very important thoughts, the ones which we cannot push away or neglect, the ones which decide our next move. But each time I look at this quote, it makes me think again about the various steps I went through before committing to a process.
Quitting is easy!
I remember reading all those quotes which said – “Quitting is easy, it takes more than that to succeed” and what not. Each of those quotes made a lot of sense and even energized me. But they all had a common problem, the energy and motivation did not last very long and each time when something went wrong, I could feel myself withdrawing into a shell.
It is painful when things don’t work
I understand how painful it is to get back on track and work with enthusiasm when things are not working in our favor. There is a constant question at the back of our mind whether it is time we should consider quitting it all and choose the easier life.
And there is another set of questions in mind telling us about all our Idols and asking if they quit. Then again I realize motivation has to run deeper than that. There is only a limited amount of it which we can derive from the environment and people around us, the rest has to come from within. Particularly when you feel like quitting, it demands a much higher strength to keep going and pushing through.
And the best way to find motivation is to ask that question – “WHY” – the reason why we do what we do, what motivated us, what are our reasons and what it makes us feel when we achieve our goal. It is one thought which will make our will stronger and help us persevere better.
Perseverance
People have told that perseverance is not just one long goal, it is multiple small ones: Maybe that is how we need to look at it, each time asking that question why and the stronger our answer is, the better we are placed to address our challenges.
Of course none of it is ever going to be easy and of course quitting is going to sound way easier, but hey isn’t it all about WHY in the first place?
Well, these were our thoughts on the quote, we are eagerly looking forward to hear yours and learn from your experiences and perspectives. I am sure our readers will benefit the most from it, please do share your thoughts.
A.R.T. Quotes 