The Seattle Seahawks scored twenty-one points in the fourth quarter on Sunday to take a one point lead only to lose on a last second field goal by Atlanta. Last week, the Portland Tail Blazers came back from a double digit deficit in the final minutes and beat the mighty Miami Heat by two points.
I don’t know whether these outcomes made you happy or sad but there is a lesson to be learned no matter who you were rooting for. A good friend of mine attended that Blazer game and with the Blazers playing poorly most of the night and being down by double digits in the fourth quarter, he decided to beat the rush and leave early. Uh Oh!
I got to thinking about this and it struck me that we do this in life quite often as well. We give up when the going get’s tough and settle for less, or in some cases, settle for nothing at all. Life throws us a curve ball more often than we would like, but it’s really how we deal with them that makes the difference.
The Blazers didn’t quit and they won. The Seahawks didn’t quit and they almost pulled the biggest fourth quarter comeback ever.
Here are eight reasons not to quit:
1. EMPOWERMENT
When we refuse to quit, stay the course and achieve what we set out to do, the results are empowering. Each time we do this, we become more self-confident that we can do it again. Eventually, we will feel that we can overcome any adversity that we face.
2. PERSEVERANCE
Try, try and try again. Right! I love this word. To me perseverance requires courage and shows strength. Two qualities that everyone should desire.
3. REPUTATION
Do you want to be know as someone who will accomplish what they set out to do or someone full of good intentions that has actually achieved little?
4. INSPIRATION
I think one of the greatest results of not quitting is that it inspires others. This is especially true when it comes to our kids. If they grow up seeing us quit every time the going get’s tough, why should we expect anything more out of them.
5. CHARACTER
A person with strong character is much more likely to excel in the face of adversity. Why? Because they know what they are trying to accomplish is for a greater good. One way or another, our accomplishments will positively impact those around us.
6. CREDIBILITY
Much like reputation, continuing on towards completion will bring you credibility. How good is your word? Do other people believe what you say? Completing what you said you would do, even when difficult, will earn you respect and admiration.
7. GOALS
One of the best ways to accomplish difficult tasks is to have a written plan to achieve them. When the challenge becomes difficult, a written plan will provide the “next” smaller step that will lead to success. This is much better than only seeing the big goal at the end.
8. LIMITING BELIEFS
I think limiting beliefs also play a big role in our quitting. When we quit often enough, we start believing that this is the way we are supposed to respond. It gets easier to quit and we simply believe this is acceptable because that is what we do.
I guess the bottom line for me anyway, is that we quit when we do want to invest any more time into what we are trying to accomplish. I acknowledge that some time we do run out of time but I think more often than that we just give up because we will have to work a little harder or give up something else to accomplish the desired outcome.
The next time you are faced with the decision to quit or keep going, remind yourself why you started to begin with. If your why is strong enough, there will always be time left on the clock.
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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 1/14/13 photo by author
