ARTICLE:When to give up on your goals...at least temporarily

There is a common phrase in personal development and the business world; 'Never give up'. As with most generalities, the truth is, it is a bit more complex than that but the problem is some individuals treat it as an absolute.

But I am going to ask you a different question;

when is it ok and even best to quit your idea?

It is true that success takes time, dedication and a certain amount of 'never say die' attitude. However what I think is more important is the awareness and routine of checking in with yourself to establish what you are pursuing is congruent with the rest of your world.

Firstly no one can make the decision about quitting other than you. 'Never give up' is a generalised quip that does not fit every context, so in my view here are 3 situations where it might be more beneficial to consider quitting...at least temporarily.

1. When the financial cost of continuing outweighs the benefits it is generating.

Motivational speakers love to talk about when they started they were either homeless or living in an apartment with a mouse as their only company, until they learnt the secret to wealth.

Without discounting that most biographical stories fall victim to a certain amount of 'self-editing', whilst this may be true, the road to success doesn't have to be the worst hardship possible in your life. You can throw money at a broken ship, but if it still has a hole in it, it WILL sink. It would be best to sort your finances out first before continuing to lose money.

Michel Ellseberg in his book 'education of millionaires' talks about this when he explains that it is much harder to achieve success if you break out in a cold sweat every time a bill comes through the door. He advises to get your finances sorted first before getting stuck into achieving success.

2.When your passion for the idea has diminished and you find your focus is straying to other things

I remember my goals when I was 20 are different to what they are now. Im not unique either and it is not unusual for people to 'fall out of love' with their goals. There is no shame in that and it is not because you weren't determined in the first place to achieve the goal.

It just means your life changed and now your focus is on achieving another goal. If your personality allows you to be dedicated to one goal, it's clear you'll be dedicated in another goal; one where you might go far in!

3.When continuing is damaging your relationships and health.

So you dream of that 6 figure pay day. Every day you imagine seeing the figure in your bank balance and can feel the excitement building in every muscle fibre of your body...then you wake in the doctors office being told you are dangerously overweight and crying because your family have left you.

Being successful requires a certain amount of sacrifice, however if the result of that sacrifice results in the detriment of natural human needs (love, connection, health), YOU ARE SCREWED & you will feel the full effects of that!

To conclude, only you can decide to continue when the world appears to be against you. Being able to check in with yourself and see whether you have the motivation and drive to keep moving is a strength in character that can save you a lot of time best served in focussing on what your current passion is.

Let me hear your thoughts and please share to someone you feel may benefit from this

Aaron Morton
aaronmorton.co.uk - Fancy a finely tuned mindset?