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Rule #41. Never give up.
Attaining worthwhile goals is seldom easy. Every path worth taking is littered with obstacles, and we have to overcome pain, discomfort, negativity, and self-doubt. Sooner or later we all face a moment where we want to call it quits, to give up, to walk away. When we face that moment, we can’t surrender. When the odds are against us, we have to keep trying. We have to persevere.
There are lots of steps involved in making a dream come true, and they’re different for each and every goal we set. But one thing that we all have to do to achieve each and every goal, no matter what it might be, is to never give up.
It may take longer than expected. It may be more challenging, or require more sacrifice. It may be a lonely road (though it doesn’t have to be if you assemble a good team). It may mean uncertainty in other areas of your life. But if a goal is worthwhile, don’t give up.
Never give up.
Now you may be thinking, “What about the bail out plan you advocate, isn’t that giving up?” No. Don’t confuse bailing out with quitting, because it’s not. Bailing out is recognizing that today isn’t the day. Maybe you need more training, better preparation, different equipment, or maybe conditions just aren’t right. That’s not giving up, it’s re-assessing and regrouping. Bailing out doesn’t mean you’ll never summit the mountain, it means that you won’t summit today, so that you can summit another time with life and limb intact.
If you have to bail out, don’t let it lead to giving up either; use what you’ve learned to improve the next attempt. Keep after it, and you’ll reach that goal, whether it’s a mountaintop or a finish-line.
So when you feel like giving up, don’t. There are going to be setbacks and bad days. There may be moments when you collapse and have nothing let to give that day. People may tell you that you can’t succeed. Don’t give up.
Tomorrow is a whole new set of possibilities, so don’t give in. If you refuse to give up, you’ll get where you’re going, through hell and high water, pain and discomfort, and all manner of setback. Keep moving forward, inch by inch if you have to, and eventually you’ll taste victory.
So never give up. Never surrender.
“Rules for Intrepid Living” is a weekly post giving guidelines for how we can all live a bit more of an intrepid life.