Life is full of struggle. We’re destined to face pain and have everything blow up in our face. This very idea only became known to me eight weeks ago. I can’t believe I actually thought that some people never experience any major issues in their life.

We all suffer from sickness, heartbreak, death, failure and disappointment. What I’ve learned is that those who succeed accept this fact and make a decision to push through it. When things go wrong, they commit to having faith when there is no reason to do so.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had some pretty big stuff ups. I continue to have the same and I’ve thought about quitting so many times. That was until I realized how I got where I am today. The only reason I’m still here, and breathing, is because I decided not to quit.

Quitting is the most painful form of suffering. Most of all, quitting on yourself is something you will never forgive yourself for. I know life is hard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find an empowering way to break through all of the struggles.

Here is why I don’t want you to quit on yourself:

1. Life is not a race

We quit on ourselves because we feel like life is a race against time. We feel like we have to achieve so much by a certain age or we’re a failure. Don’t quit because of someone else’s timeframe. Life is short in one sense of the word and very long when you live in the present moment.

I’ve wanted to quit on myself many times. From a failed music career, to failed businesses, to many failed romantic relationships. Life is tough and we are guaranteed to be in constant pain.

“The way you win the race is to accept that pain is guaranteed”

Know that with every failure that comes your way, there’s a whole bunch of other people around you going through something similar. You may not know of all the pain happening around you, but it’s everywhere. Don’t quit on yourself because you didn’t reach your goal or get what you want.

Get back up again and keep trying with the newfound perspective from your past failures.

2. You’re over thinking everything

Quitting on yourself happens because you are over thinking everything that has transpired. If you give your brain enough time, it will find 101 reasons why you should quit. Quitting is your brain’s default response. It’s easier to quit on yourself than to keep going.

Everyone reading this post knows that success comes from struggle and hard work; not from taking the easy path. Stop your brain from going into meltdown and try these few suggestions:

– Every time you want to quit, repeat a metaphor that interrupts your brains pattern. Mine is, “You dodged a bullet Tim.”

– Go for a walk and listen to a story of struggle on your phone

– Get social and spend time with people you don’t know

These suggestions will help you to take your mind of quitting. The longer you try and solve a problem through thinking, the more likely you are to quit. Try taking breaks and blocking out times where you can think about a problem.

Sometimes there is no answer to a problem you are trying to solve other than trying something new. Don’t become obsessed with always trying to get a rock solid answer for every situation. We spend so much time in our heads and our constant negative thoughts form the foundation of our desire to quit on ourselves.

3. You’re so close

I’ve lost count us to how many times I’ve come so close to winning at life and then quit right at the last moment. Believe in yourself and know that every setback happens for a reason. We don’t always know why an event or situation has occurred, but we have to keep going.

“Success is always close by, but we have to earn it”

Nothing comes easily and it’s the struggle that gives us the right to succeed. I’m horrible when it comes to patience, although I’m getting better. I’m obsessed with having the answer right now and that’s why I forget how close I am to success.

Cowards quit right before they achieve greatness because they believe they deserve something when they haven’t earnt it.

4. The problem with quitting

Quitting almost always leaves you with regret about what might have happened. I find that when you see something through all the way to the end, you get the opportunity to know that there is nothing more you could have done.

If you let your regrets stack up over time, you will find that you start to feel very unfulfilled. There’s no better feeling than persisting, even when it seems like there is no reason to do so. Get comfortable we never giving up. Force yourself to pursue success in life at all costs.

5. There’s always another opportunity

I’ve wanted to quit on myself recently because I thought that I had found what I was looking for, and that because I couldn’t have it, I would have to settle for second best and the unhappiness that comes with it. After careful thought and coaching from my mentors, I reminded myself that there is always another opportunity.

What causes us to quit is the limiting belief that opportunities for success and fulfillment are not never-ending. They are. When one door closes, another door opens. What I’ve found difficult is that you never know when the next door is going to open again.

This is both annoying and awesome at the same time. When you don’t know when the next door is going to open you have to adopt the mindset of always being grateful and keeping an open mind. It adds a sense of uncertainty to our life that keeps things interesting.

6. Would your life be better if you quit?

Ask yourself this question. 99% of the time your life will never be better if you quit. Your life will be better if you keep going and push through the struggle, and pain that goes hand in hand with determination.

The feeling you get from not quitting on yourself and achieving the pinnacle of success will give you the energy to do even more incredible challenges in your life. Success breeds success.

7. The end result is worth the pain

If what you are trying to achieve in life is not worth the pain, then it’s a lousy goal in the first place. Aim for targets that make the pain worth it and light you up at the thought of winning. You’ll only quit on yourself if you go after goals you don’t really want deep down.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net