The Big Reason You Shouldn’t Give Up. Not Now.
There will be days like this.
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My most successful article teaches people that it’s okay to give up.
This isn’t a retraction.
When you want to give up, give up. Giving up isn’t a failure. Even failure isn’t a failure.
But when you don’t know, don’t give up.
Because whatever you do; however strong and patient you are; however important this is for you, and however excited you felt when it all started — there will be days like this.
There will be days when it feels like it’s not working and will never work.
Maybe there’s a difficult client. Maybe someone you hired with big hopes just doesn’t get it. Maybe none of them get it.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed and burned out.
Maybe you’re not even sure you want this. Maybe you’re not sure what you want.
And your mind starts to wander. It leans towards giving up, finding something else, something easier, something you understand, something clearer.
Because it’s fucking difficult to get out of the 9–5 norm, or even the freelance norm. To build the business, write the book, start the podcast, or whatever floats your boat.
It’s tough, dude. And it’s messy. It is a muddy, dirty, uphill walk, and when you think you’ve grabbed onto something that will hold your weight, that thing breaks, and you fall ten steps behind.
So what do we do on those days? Are these days a sign that we can’t do it or shouldn’t? That it’s not our thing?
Or are these days divine obstacles on the way to our greatness?
Most probably, they’re neither. And we’re just a bit of drama queens.
It’s because we’re confused.
We’re confused about where we’re going, so we’re trying to figure out whether we’re on the right path with every step we take.
With every step, we judge. We overthink. If it’s uncomfortable, we’re almost ready to return to that crossroad and choose again.
But here’s the thing. You’re not going to figure it out standing at the crossroad. It…
