If you’re struggling to not give up,
then it’s likely that you’ve had your fair share of challenges, adversity, and
rejection. You may be tired of people telling you that “whatever kills you
makes you stronger” and want to know how to stay positive and continue your
drive to succeed. First, you should be proud of yourself for still trying.
After that, you can work on developing a mindset and work ethic that will
guarantee success if you continue to chase after your dreams.
Develop a more
positive attitude.
Though you may find it nearly impossible to be positive if you feel like you’ve
tried everything and nothing is working for you, it’s important to stay as
optimistic as you can if you want to never give up. Being positive makes you
see all of the good things in your life that you may be missing out on because
you’re focusing on the negative things. It will also make you more open to more
opportunities and possibilities because you’ll be looking at life with a “can
do” attitude.
- It’s true. Being more positive will not only make it easier for you to deal with challenges, but it will help you embrace new ones. If you’re bitter or focused on all of your failures, then you won’t be able to move forward.
- If you catch yourself complaining or whining, try countering your negative comment with two positive ones.
- Though you shouldn’t feel like you’re faking it when you’re acting positive while feeling sad on the inside, you should know that the more you fake it, the more you’ll slowly begin to see the brighter side of life.
- One way to be more optimistic is to surround yourself with happier people who make you appreciate life more. If all of your friends are negative and discouraging, then yeah, it’ll be hard to have a positive mindset and to feel like you shouldn’t give up.
Learn to embrace
change. If you want to
work on developing the right mindset for not giving up, then you have to be
able to roll with the punches and to not only accept change, but to thrive in
it. Sure, you might have been thrown for a loop when your boyfriend broke up
with you out of nowhere or when your family announced you were moving to a new
city, but you have to learn to adapt to a new situation, to focus on whatever
aspects of it exist, and to make a game plan for thriving in a new situation.
- As Sheryl Crow once said, sometimes “A change will do you good.” Even if you’re shocked or thrown off guard, tell yourself that this could be the very best thing for you.
- Look at change as an opportunity to learn something new, to meet new people, and to become a more well-rounded person. Though you may not see any positive aspects of the situation just yet, you should be proud of yourself for handling it with grace and for moving forward.
Learn from your
mistakes. If you want to
be able to not give up, then you have to get into a mindset that allows you to
come to terms with the mistakes you’ve made and to learn from them so you don’t
keep having the same old problems. Though you may feel only discouraged or
embarrassed when you first make a mistake, you should take a step back to
understand what you did wrong and make a plan for not making the same mistake
the next time.
- Though nobody wants to make a mistake, mistakes help you learn how to avoid future problems. For example, you may feel like you really messed up by dating a possessive boyfriend who ended up breaking your heart, but this mistake earlier in life may save you from picking the wrong husband in the future.
- Don’t be in denial about the fact that you could have acted differently. If you’re so focused on looking perfect all the time, then you won’t ever learn.
Know that there will
always be more opportunities for success. If you want to work on never giving up, then
you have to have the mentality that there will always be more ways to succeed
in the future. Though it’s important to live in the present, you should work on
getting excited about the future instead of thinking that it has nothing to
offer you; if you have the attitude that you’ve missed the boat somehow, then
good opportunities will never come because you won’t be able to see them.
- You may feel that, because you didn’t get the dream job you’ve been on three rounds of interviews for, that you’ll never find a career that suits you, but in the long run, you’ll see that you’ll be able to find plenty of jobs that also feel like that perfect fit, even if it takes a while to get there.
- You can also work on opening up your definition of success. Sure, you might have thought that true success would be selling your novel when you were 25, but at 30, you may see that success can also be found in teaching literature to eager high school students.
Seek knowledge. If you want to have a resilient
mindset that helps you really succeed and not give up, then you have to
continue gaining knowledge and learning more about life as well as the
situation you’re in. If you have a thirst for knowledge and are excited about
the world, then you’ll see that there’s always more for you to learn and more
opportunities to seek. You can also gain knowledge in whatever it is you’re
trying to do, whether it’s to apply to college, find a new job, or sell your
novel; the more you know, the more capable you’ll be to handle any challenge
that comes your way.
- Of course, reading as much as you can is the time-tested way to gain knowledge. This can mean reading novels, reading the news, or reading up on your chosen field on the Internet. However, you can also gain knowledge by talking to experts in your field, trying to network, or getting advice from people who know their stuff.
- As long as you’re aware that there’s more for you to learn out there, you won’t be able to truly give up.
Be more
patient—good things will happen if you keep trying. Another reason that you may be
thinking of giving up is because you want great things to happen to you right
this second. You may think that just because you applied to 10 jobs, sent your
novel manuscript to 5 agents, or have gone on dates with 4 different guys, that
something should have worked out for you. However, the road to success is paved
with plenty of failure, and you shouldn’t give up before you even really start trying.
- Sometimes it can help to talk to other people who are going through the same process. For example, you may be feeling low because you applied to 20 jobs and haven’t heard a peep from any hiring managers; well, your friend who just got a new job may tell you that she applied to 70 jobs before even getting asked for an interview. It takes commitment and work to go after the life you want.
- Sure, you may think that you’re smart, talented, and hardworking and that any college, employer, or potential soul mate would be lucky to have you. While this may be true, you can’t expect people to simply choose you because you and the people who know you know how awesome you are; it takes work and time to prove yourself.
