Friday, October 12, 2012

Life Lessons—5 Reasons You Should NOT Quit!

by Reba J. Hoffman


Don't quit on your dream!

In my blog post, Three Feet From Gold, I talk about how close a person may be to their dream when they abandon it.
It’s sad, really, but fortunately you don’t have to quit. In fact, most of the time, you should NOT quit. Here are five reasons why I believe this.


1) You may be inches away from a breakthrough. History has proven that many of the greatest successes have occurred because dreamers hung on just a tiny bit longer than those who quit.
2) Quitting sucks energy. You may be exhausted from all the effort you put into your dream, but with little or no positive results. You think you’ll feel better by stopping but that just won’t happen. You’ll actually feel more emotionally exhausted than ever.
Winners never quit.
3) Winners never quit. Winners may lose but they will never, never, never quit. They will dig in their heels and struggle to the bitter end. They truly understand it’s not over until it is.
4) You’ll miss out on lessons. Every person who has tried and not succeeded on the first try gained invaluable information that ultimately caused them to succeed. If you quit, that information will be lost and the world will be without your brilliance.
5) It becomes a habit. Once you start down that slippery slope, you’ll gain momentum. The only problem, it’s in the wrong direction. It’s fast and as you click off each inch of your downward spiral, you have no choice but to repeat your actions, over and over again.
Stay true to your dream.
Here’s how it works with most. You give up and abandon the pursuit of your dream. At first, you feel relieved. After all, you’ve worked really hard for a long time. But as you take time to enjoy your surroundings with the extra time you suddenly have on your hands, it begins to sink in. You’ve just chained yourself to that unfulfilling life you were trying to get out of. Eventually, you come face to face with the reality that you gave up your ticket out of your humdrum life by giving up your dream.
Quitting is not something that you will ever be happy with when it comes to pursuing your dream. If you quit, you’ll have a life of fulfillment and regret. Living your dream is a whole lot more fun. Not to mention way too important to remain unlived!
Have you ever quit pursuing your dream? What led you to that? Did you resist the temptation to quit? How? Share it here!


Reba J. Hoffman is the founder and president of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is a natural encourager. She serves as Member Care Coach for My Book Therapy and is the author of Dare to Dream, A Writer’s Journal. You can connect with Reba through her motivational blog, Finding True North, or by email at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @RebaJHoffman.

14 comments:

  1. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 I go to Pilates. At 4:55 as I do the 355th crunch, I want to go home. But I push on. Have for going on 9 years now. At 5:30 I'm done. But at the same time I'm energized, flexible and proud of myself. It's the same with any dream...if it's a worthwhile dream, there are going to be mountains to climb, but on the other side of that mountain is victory!

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    1. Pat, that's wonderful! You're such an inspiration! Blessings, E

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    2. I'm so glad this helped you all. When I talk to people, it seems we all have something in common, we want to quit, sometimes even more than we want to complete. Thank you all for your honesty and sharing. And, thanks for not quitting!

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  2. I needed it too Reba. I am very close to giving up right now. With my move to Ohio and dealing with my son, I am running out of hope.

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    1. I hope that a little hope has been restored to you today, Earleen. Many people are praying for you. Thanks for not quitting.

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  3. Needed this today, and I'm saving it for later, when I know I'll need encouragement again. Thank you.

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    1. Good plan Meghan. I'm excited for you. So glad you were encouraged.

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  4. Great encouragement. Thanks, Reba & Edie :)

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  5. Oh Reba . . . how often I have wanted to quit, but I don't because I agree 100% with the reasons you gave NOT TO QUIT!!!!!

    Thanks for the encouragement and for reminding us to stay focused and to continue "pressing towards the mark."

    God bless you and your ministry.
    Beth

    And Edie . . . thanks for all the encouragement you give us also :)

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  6. Reba, wonderful post. In the writing and marketing arena there are many times most of us have thoughts of giving up. But, you just never know what tomorrow holds and perseverance is the name of the game.

    I'll be linking to this post.

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  7. I really enjoy your posts. I'm catching up on a couple I've missed. Timing is always perfect, even when I'm reading them late!

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  8. I REALLY needed to read this today. Thanks for such an encouraging post!

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