Self Improvement

12 Tips on Never, Ever Giving Up.

It’s easy to give up; throw your hands up in the air and say, “I’m Done.”
(By the way, does the line above remind you of that club song? If it doesn’t, never mind.)
It’s easy to say, “That’s it! I’m throwing in the towel.”
Whose meaning, by the way, as I just learned, comes from a boxer admitting failure or defeat:

“Based on the literal meaning of throwing a towel into the ring in boxing
(signaling that a fighter can no longer continue
by throwing a towel into the area where the fight takes place).”
-Free Dictionary.com

But that’s not you, and it sure as hell isn’t me. We’re fighting till the end. This leads us to Tip #1:

1. Make a Decision

Decide before you start that you will not quit. That you will never give up. No matter what happens. You will not stop. It’s not a choice, so you can’t quit even if you want to. You will fight if you must, till the end.

2. Know Why


Inside of you is a force urging you to pursue the dream, goal, or passion you are after. Within that is also a reason, even if you haven’t asked yourself what that is or articulated it. The same reason drives you to pick up and try again when you’ve gone off the path. Knowing why we are doing what we are doing is a powerful force. There’s a book on the topic: Start With Why, by Simon Sinek. He states:

“No one likes to lose, and most healthy people live their life to win. The only variation is the score we use. For some it’s money, for others it’s fame or awards. For some it’s power, love, a family or spiritual fulfillment. The metric is relative, but the desire is the same.”

3. Visualize the End Result

If you can visualize it, it is already happening, even if not in physical form. Visualize at the result. There are many reasons why this works. The mind does not know the difference between what is real and what isn’t, and therefore it believes what it sees. Most of what we create has started in our minds and thoughts.

4. Don’t Let a Bump In the Road End Your Trip

What if that bump got me a flat tire, and I don’t have a replacement? How will I get there? Easy. Ok, maybe not easy. You walk. It might take you a bit longer than you expected or wanted, but if you do, in fact, want it bad enough, you’ll find a way. Every interesting story has a plot twist. The bump in the road is not the end of the road. Get creative and find a way to go around it.

5. Be Cocky. In a Good Way. Know You Can Make Anything Happen

You’re a human being. That’s kind of, like, a big deal. You have started with a winning chance. Think about a giraffe trying to do what you are trying to do. A giraffe might be able to do some pretty cool things with that long neck. Think of a fish trying to do what you are trying to do unless it’s holding your breath underwater. Scratch that. Ok, you get the point anyway. We’ve done some pretty amazing things.

6. Learn to Weather Every Storm

Like a captain, you will not abandon ship. Learn to weather every storm. Every struggle. Know it will pass. Be prepared that not all will be smooth sailing. Before you embark, learn as much as you can. Hold on tight, adjust, and hold on some more. Unexpected situations can arise, and it doesn’t mean you can’t get around them.

7. Enjoy the Ride

Gosh, I wish I had known that sooner. Going after something challenging or difficult can lead to worry, stress, and anxiety. It’s ok to know that enjoying good moments does not take you away from getting what you want. It helps you feel better and thus gives your goal or passion your all. Take the breaks. You’re going to need them.

8. Break it Down.


Take actions (steps) to your goal or mission and check them off. Many people give up because they fought with mother patience and lost. Rome wasn’t built in a day. The reward and thrill our brains get from checking things off will motivate you more. So don’t make it harder for yourself by trying to make it all happen in one day.

9. Reward Yourself


Rewarding yourself, not depriving yourself, will also work in your favor. Our brains love to get rewarded and knowing you will treat yourself to something special is a great motivator. Give yourself treats and show yourself some love. Don’t forget you are living now, too, and you don’t want to turn around and realize that you unnecessarily stopped fully living.

10. Use Inspiration


I’ll try anything. I’ve used the symbol of Phoenix to keep me going. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, when the going got tough I knew I would eventually rise. Every time doubt crept in the print out of the Phoenix on my wall rising gave me strength, hope and comfort.Movies and songs are great ways to keep us going. Creating a motivational playlist is very useful when we want to remind ourselves of what we want to do. Keeping a list of quotes that remind you of your goal is a great way to stay on track. Here is one of my all-time favorites:

“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find.Knock, and it will be opened for you.” – Matthew 7:7

Affirmation writing is also a very powerful tool. To make things happen we have to believe we can actually make it happen. Sometimes our subconscious thoughts are not aligned with what we say we want. Write out what you desire or want until the belief around it changes. It will reshape your mental maps and your mind will start believing it. The nervous system gets activated and the neuromuscular connection is a powerful tool. I’ve written many things down that I wanted to manifest. Things I had no idea how I was going to make happen, but I would write what I wanted over and over again. Even when I doubted myself, I wrote those affirmations down.

11. Don’t Get Stuck on One Way

Along the way, you will learn many things about that thing you want to do. With new knowledge, you might find adjustments need to be made. Be flexible to learn different ways or new ways of getting what you want.

12. Grow a Thick Skin

This is a must. It can be a lonely road when sticking to a passion or goal. People will say all kinds of things to you for various reasons. You might even hear that your goal is unattainable. Just remember this: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” -Albert Einstein Keep your eyes on the prize and know that you have everything you need within you to make anything happen. For weekly tips, inspirations & workshop updates sign up for my VIP email list below. Failure is scary for many people. When we fail at something, we feel like our world is falling apart, and there is nothing good going on in our lives anymore. We focus on the negatives, and start questioning ourselves, “Am I not good enough?” “What did I do wrong?” While this type of thinking is common, there are also many positive aspects to failing. When we fail, we see where we stand, understand our mistakes, and learn from the errors that we’ve made. We advance quicker and enlarge our perspectives. Our determination increases, and our willpower strengthens. Even if failing seems scary at first, we must learn to accept it, and embrace it. We must realize that giving up is inefficacious. We must move forward if we truly want to succeed in life. Here are seven tips on how to handle failure and realize that moving on is crucial:

  1. Accept It

The first step to overcoming negative feelings is accept them. If you are unable to take responsibility for your actions, you are never going to move on and start a better life. Accepting things as they are is therefore crucial. Embrace the mistakes you’ve made, and congratulate yourself for being so strong. Keep in mind:

  • You do not control everything in your life, and that is totally fine. There is no need to. Life is beautiful as it is, and you should live every single moment like it’s your last one. Criticizing every wrong decision that you make will only demoralize you. You can’t change the past, and you shouldn’t. Learn from it, and don’t repeat your mistakes. This is how you evolve.
  • Be realistic. You made mistakes. OK, can’t change that, but what can you change? Are there any life lessons you took out of the situation?
  • Realize that it takes time and effort to become strong, and you are exactly where you need to be. A wise friend once told me, “We need to die first in order to live.” Don’t take that literally, but understand the message. Becoming better takes strength and patience.

Accepting things as they are will change your life. Before starting to work on anything else, work on acceptance. It’s the most important step of the process.

  1. Be Honest with Yourself

You can lie to others, but you should never lie to yourself. Being honest sets you free! You failed – why? Can you think of at least three causes? Where did you get stuck? Here are some quick tips on how to become honest with yourself:

  • Write your thoughts down. Keep a journal. You don’t have to note down everything, only the highlights of your day. What are your goals for today? How are you going to accomplish them? And most importantly, why?
  • Ask for help when necessary. We might be too proud to do that sometimes, but that’s never smart. Asking for feedback or help from the right people is a good thing. It means we accept that we are stuck, and we want to evolve.
  • Remind yourself to be honest. Staying true to yourself is a continuous process. If you are not used to telling the truth, remind yourself daily that you have to.
  • Imagine the future. How does your future look like in this moment? Do you think you can succeed with your current mentality, or are there things that you must change? If the answer to the latter questions is “there are,” write them down, and start evolving.

Make “I am honest with myself” your life motto! It will help, I promise.

  1. Think Positively

Focusing on the negative will drain your energy, and make you feel sorry for yourself; therefore, it will not help at all. Here are some things you should focus on:

  • Be kind with yourself, don’t use negative self-talk. You now accepted your mistakes and embraced them. You were honest when realizing what actions you could’ve improved. That’s enough. No need to make yourself feel bad for your failure.
  • Watch a good comedy, or talk with a funny friend. Taking life seriously is not worth it sometimes – nobody gets out alive anyways.
  • Meditate, or practice some yoga. Live the present instead of focusing on the past. Work with your thoughts, and slowly transition to an optimistic mindset.

Thinking positively does not mean ignoring facts. Be realistic when evaluating yourself, but don’t put such a big emphasis on the negatives.

  1. Stick Around the Right People

One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes is, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Think about it: if you surround yourself with pessimistic people, you’ll become one. If you haven’t yet, evaluate your friend circle and see who truly deserves to remain in your life. If it there’s only one friend left after the “general cleaning,” that’s perfectly OK too – at least you know you can always rely on them, no matter what, and that’s everything that counts at the end of the day.

  1. Keep Yourself Motivated

Now that you’ve accepted your mistakes, it’s time to move forward. You are finally here – the greatest moment of your life. It’s time to try again. “But how?” one might ask. This is where motivation comes into place.

  • Leave expectations aside, and focus solely on the present. Don’t think about “what could happen if I do this or that.” If you feel like it’s the right decision, go with your intuition.
  • Read and watch motivational books/movies. It’s always great to have someone tell you that you can make it. Even if you already realized that for yourself, there are times when hearing it from someone else makes the message more powerful.
  • Map out a plan of your goals and think about what you want to achieve in the long-run. What’s the answer to your why question?
  • When you feel like giving up, think about your why, and continue working hard towards your goal.

Keeping yourself motivated is crucial to moving forward with your life. Be strong, and don’t let negative thoughts affect you.

  1. Keep Improving

As I previously mentioned, improving constantly is the only way to climb the success ladder. You are working on your motivation, and that is already amazing. But who’s ever succeeded in life without perseverance? Do you know how many times Thomas Edison has failed before creating the lightbulb? At least a thousand. But do you know what his perception on that was? “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

  1. Take Time for Yourself

Last but not least, make sure you care about yourself. Concentrating solely on success and forgetting about yourself might slowly drive you insane. Take time to read what you like, enjoy good times with your friends, and have good laughs with your family. Loving yourself is where life starts.

Wrapping Up

Move forward with your life by accepting your mistakes, stay true to yourself, learn from your mistakes, think positively, surround yourself with the right people, and take time to love yourself. You got this! About the author Joe McLean is one of the most popular assignment writers worldwide. His books on how to approach life have had a powerful impact on many readers. Currently, Chris is residing in Lima, Peru, running a rehabilitation center, and improving the lives of many patients.


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