Never Give Up- No, Give Up

December 30, 2009 · Comments

dog fights I see this phrase a lot: “never give up.” People utter it as a kind of bravado, a kind of challenge to say that you have to persist to succeed. The problem is, the thinking is flawed. There are PLENTY of times when one should give up. I see them every day. Every day.

Mister Seth Godin schooled me personally HARD in The Dip. If you didn’t buy that book, do so. And read it. It’s like… a half hour of reading. It’s tiny and yet so powerful.

There is a right time to give up. There’s a right time to quit. The trick, and it is a HUGE trick, is knowing which is which.

In the new book that Julien and I are working on, that’s something we’ll talk about. We’ve both come to realize that by experimenting frequently, often privately, and iterating on our failures, we’ve come out ahead faster than not. But in that, we’ve learned when to give up. We’ve learned when to kill something that’s not working.

I urge you to think about this long and hard. As the year is coming to an end, review your efforts of the last year frankly. Ask yourself where it worked. Ask yourself where it wasn’t really all that successful. And determine what you’re going to do next. But do, in fact, think about when it might be time to give up, and then try something else.

One Last Thing

Remember that surrender is every bit as much a part of strategy as victory. Learning when to surrender or lose a smaller battle has been part of the success plan of every major war ever fought. The trick is in knowing what really matters, and never letting go of that. The problem we have is that we fall into the trenches and think the battle is the war.

Never give up? Hell. Give up all the time. Just keep your eyes on the real prize, what really matters, and don’t let that go.

Photo credit Beverly & Pack

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  • jhonywillsh
    I have given up credit cards--actually fairly easy to do, since the companies have gotten so very greedy and hard to deal with. Pretty soon, will have them all paid off, and I already have more in my bank account!Thats just ridiculous. Off the stage a performer is just like you and me, besides being wealthy and famous. They have a life outside of performing, let em live it without bothering them. Thats the only reason why i would not like to be famous.

    1gb cf card
  • Neusa Saranga
    I totally agree. Failure to recognize when to give up, can led to greater loss and can push one further away from Victory. We often are afraid to give up, we are afraid to face the unknown, oblivious of the realization that there may lie our greatest glory. Most hold on to the phrase "Better the devil we know than the devil we dont". Fantastic article. I am learning to master the ability of distinguishing when its time to give up and when I owe it to myself to keep going.
  • I think Godin's book was very timely - in the age of opportunities, sticking to one thing may not be the best way to succeed!
  • Thanks for this post, Chris. Heard you speak at Oakley in 2009.

    Agree about "never give up". The power to stop is always there. And I think it shows proper smarts/humility to see when you are possibly throwing effort at a bad idea.

    There is also a separate group called "never get started" - folks who talk for years about getting something going . . . and never do. I was one - for 20 years. I am now acting on everything - even if only in some small way. Testing ideas on Twitter, in blog posts, etc. It feels good and I think it is the only way to know whether an idea truly means something to you. To feel the details of an idea between your toes.
  • computertips
    It is an important issue.
    Tactical give up is much better than a strategic failure.
    A good idea to think into the new year.
    Thanks
    http://computer-edu.blogspot.com/

  • Love this, love this, love this. Just like measurement is the second half to social media marketing initiatives, there is a second part to successful human evolvement.

    It's tricky, but completely alright to give up on something that isn't working.
  • Great blog Chris, good to meet you...

    I think you summed it up beautifully there - surrender is every bit part of the strategy as victory.

    If it's not working, move on
  • I love this philosophy and I've recently begun preaching it myself, finally conquering my fear of the "no quitting" backlash. I think the keyword you have is "experimenting".

    Reminds me of what I read in Tim Ferriss' 4 Hour Work Week wherein he talks about strengths and weaknesses. He says that when he finally acknowledged that his talent was "lifting heavy things and throwing them" he then "became a fighter and took off"

    We put so much emphasis sometimes in correcting weaknesses - weak ideas, or even great ideas that have weak support - that we miss out on the leveraging potential of our strengths.

    Thanks for raising the "Quitters" flag with pride. I'm gonna fly mine high in 2010.
  • marryroy01
    I mean I put so much time and energy into it, but I thought about how much time and energy I would use to "fix it". I see the saying of "never give up" the same as "if it isn't broke don't fix it".

    joystick
  • Thanks Chris for sharing.. It's an important reminder, near the end of the year, that sometimes, the more important things in life, are the things we let go of, rather than take on more of..
    It's giving me some food for thought, for my own blog, and my own approach to life.. Perhaps there is more that I should let go of, rather than hold onto.. Quality vs. quantity..
    If I do summarise my thoughts, I'll be sure to share them with you.

    Thanks for getting me thinking ;)
  • Great post Chris - thank you. This is the art of "choosing your battles." I have the book [The Dip] and unfortunately haven't read it yet but understand it is a great read. Success is indeed about "evolving."
  • ralphcarlson
    This is something that bugs me continually. I tend not to quit. I plow ahead, or stumble but I keep going in the same direction. I know this has to be wrong at least some of the time because I am not smart enough to select the right goal or understand where I ought to be heading when I make the decision. But how do you know when it's right to stop doing one thing and head in another direction? I hope you have some good answers because I'm stumped.
  • Chris

    What I got out of your blog post is - never give up on the big prize. The message is technically still "Never Give Up" but you say it's OK to 'concede' when required. I totally agree.

    The analogy is a game of chess. You have to lose/sacrifice some pieces to position yourself to win the game (big prize). That's not new news - that's just smart strategy.

    Happy New Year to you and family.

    Cheers, Iggy
  • Exactly! Choose your battles, but don't give up on the war.
  • Whimsical
    Thanks for this article, and also pointing me to The Dip. As you have pointed out, there is a huge difference between quitting and giving up. There is no failure in 'giving up', it does often come down to common sense and the ability to recognise what simply isnt working and to then reassess, adapt and change track. Not succeeding, can be an important part of the journey in discovering what it is that truly matters to one's self.
  • kevincimring
    Hi Chris

    What you say has universal appeal, but has particular application I believe in the start-up environment.

    It's tough for entrepreneurs with a start-up business that they have been sweating in for years to call it quits and move onto something else, because so much time and sacrifice has been invested in the endeavor. But there comes a point when they would be better served to call it a day, and move onto something else - no matter how tough that decision may be.

    Great post that alludes to a difficult human dilemma.

    Regards
    Kevin
  • ryanstaylor
    Giving up is like a tactical retreat. That goal you set for yourself didn't quite turn out the way you envisioned. Do you continue on, knowing that you may win the battle but lose the war? Or do you retreat, regroup and forge ahead on a new path? The answer to me is obvious but not always easy for many to make.

    I can't count how many times I've set goals for myself only to realize that I didn't really want to accomplish those goals. So I "gave up" and found things I really wanted to do that I knew I could complete.
  • I've successfully given up several times and will continue to do so when it serves me best. I've never regretted moving on, and each time I've moved on to something better!
  • I agree that there's a right time to quit. But usually it comes much later than when many people are ready to quit. Instead of quitting, an option is to find a different way.

    The movie Invictus illustrates this nicely. It centers on a poem by WE Henley:

    Out of the night that covers me,
    Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
    I thank whatever gods may be
    For my unconquerable soul.

    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

    Beyond this place of wrath and tears
    Looms but the Horror of the shade,
    And yet the menace of the years
    Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

    It matters not how strait the gate,
    How charged with punishments the scroll.
    I am the master of my fate:
    I am the captain of my soul.
  • Chris (and Julien) when you wrote "by experimenting frequently" I heartily agree and suggest you keep an eye out for Peter Sims book out next year called Little Bets.
    I mentioned it today in my post at Moving From Me to We
  • Can't wait. Love it!
  • christinakatz
    Excellent post. I'm putting several of my projects to sleep tomorrow. Failures are very educational. Moderate successes are also educational. And successes are perhaps the sweetest lessons of them all. Sorry to be such a grouch yesterday. I'll channel it all into a post on my own blog called "things that get me all worked up" or something like that. ;) Also, I skipped The Dip. Better go back and read it. Happy New Year, all.
  • And the cool thing is, they help us move forward. : )
  • christinakatz
    In that case, I think I'm about to be catapulted into 2024. ;)
  • Love this post and just finished the The Dip and LOVED it! Great advice but hard to know when you are in that "culdesac". Listen to your heart and fail faster to get to success.
  • Nodding. Yup Yup Yup. Bring on giving up. I ask a lot 'who's steering: selfish bitch or wise woman?" I have to ask myself that a lot. What's mine to do is perhaps a more lady like way of the same ask. I'm giving up on a goal that brought me to this city. It is not mine to do right now...if at all, ever. Noted. I knew this a year ago. Selfish, Joan of Arc in me said DO IT ..no one else will. And count the cost of the it not being done. In the time here, something else occurred: I woke up to/gave myself permission to dive into other pulls..real ones...ones that have been with me for a while. So...sometimes the giving up is really saying yes to the real thing you wanted to be doing anyway...For me I'm giving up hiding. giving up a project that seems lofty and mighty, but was still yet another way I was avoiding the real thing I need/wanna dive into. Great topic. Never give up rings true to me in this one thing: being true to ourselves. And that means giving up everything we're hiding behind: be it career choices or lifestyle choices or projects. Here's to giving up all that stuff. Thanks for your example of integrity and being true to you. Its so noted. Respected. Valued. Happy New Year and here's to a fab 2010!
  • I agree with Chris and all the commentators here. Peace of mind can be found when we accept that we're going to lose some battles or may need to retreat at times. We are defined more by our ability to keep our sights on the big picture... We can still win the war!!

    I read recently that instead of focusing on what we want to DO, we should focus on who we want to BE. I think that's wise counsel.

    Best to everyone in 2010!
  • Oh yes. You have only so much time and energy and you have to be able to decide when the ROI is not there and be willing to move things around to what does offer the return. I see a lot of companies sticking to an old marketing strategy - when it is obvious - even to them - that a change in WHO you market to has so much more potential.

    But I would not call this giving up - I would call it deciding to join another fight.
  • tylerwood
    I read the title twice just to make sure. Interesting. I can see both sides of this. I think a lot of people give up way to quickly these days. Hard work will still beat the socks off of any other trait. Working smart is being thrown around as well but I think that is somewhat of an excuse for not working hard. Sure, there are times when people should stopping digging the hole that is burying them, but don't use it as an excuse when you don't want to put in the work.
  • Godin thoughts underlie many of mine as well. I am looking forward to your book because I've been interested in this area for some time. Every one of us has only one life to live and it speeds by quickly. One can spend it in a business, or job, that we can get a better than average outcome from by putting in extraordinary effort - or one can change fields, or geography to an area where the same input would produce a far better outcome. We're moving from the industrial age when people manipulated machines to an intellectual age where the brain really is taking over from hands, back, and the seven senses, as the money earner. Humanity is starting to understand the huge forward strides that can be achieved by thinking about things in the right way - to the extent that we *think* we're supposed to take any difficult, or less than ideal circumstance, and think our way through it to success - no matter what. The next step will be a better understanding of when to pull the plug.
  • Tactical "quitting" is like the ebb and flow of waves. The edge of the wave crests, retreats, regains strength and ultimately moves forward.

    Whenever I've experienced the frustration of not "succeeding," I've taken that as a sign to reconsider my goals/priorities and approach them in a different way, or if I should change course altogether.

    Great stuff. Thanks for the post! Best, M.
  • DanaJensen
    Chris, this is so well said and such a great question to pose.

    I recently asked myself this same question when I left a job I loved, one that I'd held for 7 years. There was no room for upward movement/promotion yet I kept hoping management would create a new, more challenging position for me. I worried that if I left, I would be giving up and that it was a direct reflection of my business or negating skills. But it was time to leave. It was time to give up—not on myself, but on the management of the company.

    I took the leap, accepting a new job in social media (a field that I'd never worked in and am loving!).

    Thank you for the moment of reflection- keep it up!! I'll be thinking about this question as I look ahead to the New Year.
  • Hi Chris:

    What I have taken away from reading your posts and seeing you "around"...you have successfully created the human Chris....I feel like we could hang out together ...
    That's Social.....

    Saludos
  • I do what I can. : )
  • I always am amazed when I read or hear something that echoes what is on my mind. This topic is it!! Thank you, Chris!

    We've been taught to think that never giving up is the answer to achieving success. I now firmly believe that letting go/giving up is sometimes the ONLY way to really get where we want to go.
  • Success isn't about sticking with failure. It's about evolving. Humans do that. : )
  • Right on!
  • I didn't read every word of every comment (oh, the humanity!) but at a glance I didn't see any reference to the most famous modern-day version of the quote "Don't give up, don't ever give up!" by Coach Jimmy Valvano in his speech at the ESPY awards. (I cry every time.) He was urging us all to never give up the fight to find a cure for cancer. That's different from letting go of a really bad business idea once it's become obvious that it will never succeed. I hate to generalize, but we women are particularly loathe to let go of pet projects that are a drain on our resources. Stubborn? Moi?
    So anyway, pick your battles.
  • I particularly like Pacino's speech in Any Given Sunday.
  • You know what is funny nathan, I just watched that last night. It was a good speech.
  • Well yes. Absolutely. Hope is another thing entirely. I mean it more in the "pursuits" department.
  • I've learned the hell out of that last lesson many times in the past 48 hours.

    I hate to give in, but sometimes you have to remember to win the war, not the battle. It's easy to forget your allies when there are enemies all around.
  • You have to fail to learn. You have to learn to get better.

    I'd rather make 100 decisions, and have only 75 of them be right, then to spend all my time trying to make 10 perfect decisions.

    Perfection isn't possible. Excellence is.
  • Ned Kumar
    Great post Chris. I agree with you that giving up is as much a part of success as not giving up.

    As you point out, the one thing I would definitely stress is not giving up on things that really matter. From experience I can say that it is sometimes very very tempting to give up [fill up the blanks here with a project, an initiative, or even a personal issue] so that the "pain", frustration, and the negatives go away. Not giving up means, prolonging that pain. So it really comes down to what you are fighting for (would you give up if you were fighting for your life?)

    An extension of your post, which you did not mention explicitly is that in order to succeed, sometimes one has to 'give up' certain things from a delegation point of view. You cannot be the best in everything. Recognizing your limitations and using it wisely will take you a long way than trying to act as the omni-present expert.
  • carolroy
    After raising two kids, I've learned all about picking your battles. It's a great life lesson that I've come to think of as circumventing the obstacles. It might just be semantics, but I prefer not to think in terms of fighting or war. My daughter refused to eat her peas one night (when she was about 5) and she sat at the dinner table until 9pm, defying me, all over some stupid peas. That's when I learned that some things just aren't worth the tears and that my energy is better spent on situations with a more reliable outcome ;o) Granted, sometimes life requires a certain amount of blind faith and risk-taking, just not when there's 5-year-olds involved ;o)
  • Great article! Especially how you sum it up - it's important to experiment, give up when something isn't working, but keep your goal in mind. My best personal experience with that was transferring grad schools. It was hard for me not to feel ashamed about giving up one program before finishing and starting a new one, but it was for the overall goal of a better education, more in-tune with what I was looking for.
  • Never give up its mantra for me because I am a tough guy,I have started my blog in november and till date I have not received any comment.
  • hey biz78. Two things that will help you start drawing comments. Go to http://en.gravatar.com/ and get your mug up there to humanize yourself. Also enter your website address so we can click on your name and go to your site.
  • Bless you for keeping my brain elastic (stretching with new ways to think about things). As with many great teachings, this is something I knew deep down but had never framed in this way, and it's vitally important, especially for someone who tends to stretch themselves too thin. Focus, Carve, Meaning...my mantra for 2010.
  • I've been thinking about this lately as well. It's hard to figure when to throw in the towel but as you said, we've been told "don't give up, giving up means you failed," and yes, that is not necessary true. Just the word "give up" sounds so defeating so I'll just say, letting go. For example, sometimes it's best to let go of a project that is draining you financially. Or on a business relationship that isn't going anywhere. Or a client that is doing more harm then good. Great article, Chris, once again. What's the new book with Julien going to be about?
  • I feel that the saying applies to the pursuit of your definite major purpose. Whatever you're on earth to achieve, you should pursue until you get there.

    As far as giving up I look at it as a temporary detour. Never get in the habit of thinking that you "gave up" as it tends to condition people to give up on their goal in life.
  • Well put. I try and reevaluate my work several times a year. It is hard to let go of things that aren't working. After all, they were MY idea and no way could I have had a bad idea. Right? When I do finally drop the ego and release a bad idea there are always a few more good ones behind the closed door. Thanks so much for this reminder that it is time to do some housekeeping.
  • This is a concept that a lot of people don't get. I remember growing up learning to "always try harder" to get your desired results; which is great as long as they are achievable or you come close. The trick as you point out is realizing when they aren't achievable and move on. The concept is the same as fail hard, fail often to me.
    Happy New Year!
  • Hey Chris. This is a great post and Seth's book definitely hit's the nail on the head.

    There is a quote from the legendary author Herman Hesse that is similar. He says, "Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go."

    Thanks for the post.

    Don Makoviney
  • Galaxy Quest - Never Give Up, Never Surrender
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI5hi4c4y9k
  • Chris, your timing is impeccable! I'm contemplating giving up a business I built over the last few years that is just not awesome. There are lots of reasons for it and some of it is the industry,some if it is my skill set. I have a new project ramping up that is has much more potential. Glad to know it is all just part of the process. Your post gives me the "permission" I need to do what I know must be done. Thanks!
  • jimedward
    I'll have to pick up Seth's book "The Dip". However...Sometimes "giving up" isn't as clear cut as that. Sometimes you just pay less attention as you once did to the small battles and more attention on the big battles or The War as you visually described it. I understand there are plenty times you must consider abandoning the ship but most of us can't afford to cut loose without considering the consequences; especially financial ones. The actual transition from battle to battle can be a war within itself.

    Maybe fear rules many peoples lives when it comes to giving up, because it is CHANGE that most people fear. I have my own struggles and fears to conquer, so I would like to learn about how you and Julien created methods of coming out ahead faster than not on such battles. Awesome post Chris.
  • thank you for blogging about this, and thanks for the Dip tip. bought it immediately. i definitely need to recognize the dips from the time-to-cut-baits.
  • Marc Seyon
    This is so much more honest and realistic than some of the fairyland crap I've seen on other "idea blogs". I guess that's the reason I'm still reading yours and not theirs.
  • Good advice, Chris. We can get ourselves into intractable positions by sticking too strongly to phrases like that. The real story (and there's something about this I really don't like) is that there are very few true absolutes; we need to know when our belief system needs adjusting.

    Jeff Yablon
    President & CEO
    Answer Guy and Virtual VIP Computer Support, Business Change Coaching and Virtual Assistant Services

    Answer Guy and Virtual VIP on Twitter
  • I think for those who have a problem with "quitting" or "surrendering," a simple twist of perspective can have it as "redirecting." Applying the theory of launch pads, each endings is more than anything a new opportunity from which to start. I embrace the spirit and wisdom of this post and look forward to the book to come.
  • Well put, Chris. Thanks again for starting the conversation. Giving up, or "surrender" is a big topic among many mystics, and for good reason. By having more and more clarity about one's goal, or more accurately one's path (goals shift as we past signposts on the path), we can more dispassionately release those habits/routines/things/ideas/preconceptions that are not moving us along the path. "Trial and error" learns from the error and moves on.
  • julito77
    So true. What people call "giving up," I like to call "adjusting." Happy 2010 and I wish you another great year of success.
  • Hey Chris,

    I couldn't agree more. There are lots of things to quit in fact that hold us back, whether it be mindsets, attitudes or habits. We get fixated at times with adding the next new thing, but never take the time to purge our system of things that no longer fit what we want to do and who we want to become. That's where quitting comes in. It has such a negative connotation, and yet it is such a powerful strategy as you suggested. It is vital to our overall success.

    Hey I see Helmi down below called you Christ. Is there something we should know my friend?? :-)

    DD
  • I'm not sure that I agree with your sentiment on giving up, Chris. I don't think it's "giving up" when you admit something didn't work as well as you anticipated and work around it to find a different (more acceptable) solution. As long as you use what you've done in the small battle, positive or negative, in order to win the "big war" then you're not giving up - you're learning.
  • quitters never win except when winners know when to quit
  • This year I gave up on a lot of things. I had the crazy idea that I could learn Chinese in 15 minutes a Day. I keep coming up with domain names and fun stuff but then the idea falls flat because the passion is not there. I would love to learn Chinese some day but limiting myself to a ridiculous 15 minutes a day is something I had to give up on.

    2010 is about focus and hard work. I may give up on some things that don't work but I will focus on what does.
  • As a martial artist, I've learned to pick my battles literally and figuratively.
    As a writer, I've learned to edit out a section of writing I just love because I know others may need more clarity on the subject.
    As a caregiver to my mom who has Alzheimer's and dementia, I've learned some areas of life will never improve.
    As a blog writer, I've left one blog behind and started one that fires a life-long passion of mine.

    In all these things surrender has never been an option. I never try to see failure as a process leading to a wrong path, but simple as leading to a path that I have now learned is not for me. Taking the time to get a new perspective, assess less helpful paths, and see a better way is always a good idea.
  • thomsinger
    I think there are some problems with the English language... as "give up" and "give up" do not mean the same thing every time. Are there times you need to course correct and try a new path? YEP. But if you have a realistic goal, you need to keep finding ways to get there. Does that mean being blind or stupid... it just means being creative. I know for sure that 100% of those who quit never reach the prize. I usually agree with most of your posts (and I think we agree this time), but this one is over simple in language in my opinion. When you say "give up" I don't think you mean "give up".
  • Chris, this is so true. We are actually going through this painful process now. If you never let go or fail then you can never move forward. Success is based on those giving up moments and the failing moments. Great post and can't wait for the book.
  • joetye
    I think of it as the difference between quitting and stopping. Never Quit - never give up on your most important goals and dreams, never give up on yourself. But if something is not working, stop - try something else. One of the surest ways to eventually cave in catastrophically is to keep banging your head against an unyielding brick wall.

    There are two other important distinctions. First, know the difference between stopping and detouring; sometimes you don't need to quit, you just need to change directions. Second, the difference between surrendering and suspending; sometimes things don't work because the time is not right, not because they are not good and important ideas.

    One last thought - before stopping, surrendering, or quitting it's essential that you be totally honest with yourself about your motivation for doing so. It's one thing to quit because the market is telling you that your business concept is DOA, quite another to quit because you don't have the gumption to go out and build your market presence.
  • Thanks for this post. I'm in the process of giving up on something and it is comforting to have affirmation that quitting is OK sometimes.
  • Chris -

    Wise words of wisdom, in knowing that it's okay to "give up" when you've exhausted options, funds, or the engine simply will not start.

    My addendum to this post is that If you're forced to give up and move on to "the next," mentally put the action in your "success" column rather than your "failure" column. The great inventor Thomas Edison saw his "failures" at creating the light bulb as "knowing a thousand ways how NOT to make it."

    Giving up and moving on is just a fork in the road of life.
  • TMFproject
    You said it best in the end; "just keep your eye on the real prize." I think in that sense you aren't giving up; rather, you're prioritizing and giving up that which isn't either contributing to the prize or that which isn't working as you intended. But you're right; too often we let arbitrary "nuggets of wisdom" that are more representative of a culture's values than they are of truth, blindly guide our lives, more or less just because someone once said so.
  • Agreed, you have to let go of what isn't working to make room for something better.

    Thanks for the reminder Chris!
  • Great thought Chris. New Years is a time to resolve to do something. But maybe that 'something' is to quit.

    A friend of mine, Dean Dywer, writes a great blog on the benefits of quitting! It's worth checking out - http://www.quitbit.com/

    Oh, and he's a big fan of yours.
  • Great Post! You hear people always say "never give u" and to a point that's true.

    But knowing when to walk away is key. Just like in a bad relationship at some ppoint there is no more trying and time to walk away.

    Problem is people are their worse enemy, and "Can't Get Out Of Their Own Way"

    So it's good to take a step back and look at what is working and not.
  • I couldn't agree with you more. The problem then arises that as people our views of the correct time get distorted. Giving up can be admitting losses. It is very hard for people to admit to themselves and then, in some ways, announce to others that they are not only wrong but they will admit it and accept the loss. The loss may be monetary or it may be emotional. Which one is harder to deal with?
    People also become committed. They commit to that project, that strategy or that thought. It becomes all that much more difficult to let go of. How much time is committed to things that rationally aren't worth doing but we continue to do because of irrational choices?
  • Chris,

    A great post; it's certainly a strategy we need to consider.

    When is enough, enough? The question itself is simple enough; the difficult part is know the correct answer.

    When is it time to call it a day? Are you a million miles from achieving that goal you've been working towards or are you just inches away from it?

    Regards

    Paul
  • partyaficionado
    So true! Over the past couple of years, I've decided to let go of a few things (and people). Turns out... those things/ppl were not helping but hindering my progress.

    As soon as I let go, the world opened up.
  • Another very good post. You continue to amaze me on a very high scale ;)

    I agree with your thoughts. Often, the key is to give up. I remember a post by Seth Godin, which stated the same thing. It was illustrated by a video from Richard Nixon right before he was going to address the nation about standing down.
    It was striking to observe how he was truly relieved and euphoric.
  • suzyoge
    No longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from.-Jewel

    I came across the quote on your friend Christopher S. Penn's site this morning.

    Letting go is so hard, even when you know it is the best decision. Sometimes contracts and external deadlines can help you make these difficult decisions and force you to follow through! The luxury of having the time and space to continue failing is a false friend!
  • Jim
    I woke up this morning, as the decade is ending (thank god!), reflecting on the Eighties, a decade of crackpot realism where people "got serious" and thereby became frivolous, in contrast to the Seventies, where people focused on difficult, longterm problems.

    I agree that giving up is important-- I do it a lot. But I keep track of the important goal.

    The phrase "Never give up" is most attributed to Churchill. Winston Churchill may have abandoned this and that strategy, but he was very clear from 1934 on one thing-- Adolf Hitler was a dangerous guy, and in 1940 announced loud and clear that unconditional victory was the only outcome he'd accept.
  • I think I have to give up on the idea that I can keep track of all the interesting articles and offers that flood my inbox everyday. I mean - forget spam - I get a ton of really cool things that I'd LOVE to follow up on but as a newbie blogger, I just don't have enough hours in the day.

    In fact, I'm writing this comment at 4:36AM!!

    Let it go, Don. Go to bed for goodness sake!

    Chris - I'm familiar with the Seth's DIP. Good advice all around. Now I'm going to bed!

    - Don Power
  • vishi96
    Beautiful article dude, this is very motivational and so are the rest of your articles, I feel proud of my quality to never give up.

    Thanks
    http://www.dumblittleblogger.blogspot.com/
  • I agree with you Christ. The book has also taught me a lot.

    I just want to quote few others great content about the book. Seth Godin in the book said that most of people that are success today quit everyday but what differentiate them with losers are the quit at the perfect time and correct reason.

    Another part that I love is he stresses on the "Dip" which distinguish between successful person and the opposite. Without the "dip" he says, the value of winning will be no different of losing. Everybody can be CEO and that drive the salary down - the part that make CEO job a dream,

    With the "dip", people have to go through something that is ridiculously tough before get something good in the end. However, not everybody can stand firm with the pressure that they get - they will surrender. Therefore, only few good person will able to go through the "dip" and get the returns that are waiting for them.

    CEO looks easy and have great pay but to get to that point, someone have to a lot of effort and fortunately, a lot of people surrender to "give" us better chance to reach our goal.

    BTW, good luck with your new project Christ. Hopefully you can reach the position right after the "dip' which you probably will face and succeed.

    Cheers!
  • Did....he just call Brogan....Christ...?
  • Great advice! Giving up is sometimes definitely a good thing. I was working on a big project earlier this year and even though it was related to my big passion 'music' .. the project itself turned out to be a constant struggle. Even though I loved the concept so much and it was heartbreaking to quit it, I decided to give up.

    I believe that if you decide to quit something that didn't work and you're feeling a bit sad or even 'lost', you have always learned something from that experience. I guess it's always good to be honest to yourself. Of course people can be perfectionists or insecure which can influence the decision to quit something. When I contemplated quitting the project I felt sad it didn't work and I was afraid I would even hurt the feelings of my (business) partner. In the end I asked myself the question: why waste your time on something that you KNOW isn't working and can't be fixed, while you could spend that time on creating something that does?

    I'm usually a "we can do this !!!" type of person, but I definitely learned the 'Never give up - no, give up' lesson this past year. I definitely do not have any regrets quitting my not working project ~
  • It is a good idea and I do it all the time. I experiment with many things and ideas, I give them a little bit of time each, then I analyze the results to see what works, what can be improved, what doesn't work and so on. Then according to the results I decide what to do next, which ideas to spend more time on, which to quit and give up. It is all about ROI in the end...
  • darni
    Well,in my dictionary,quit is not the same as give up.We should not give up goal.But to succeed,we need to quit somtthing.
  • Nice article. I am highly motivated from this article. I will never give up in my life. Life is a challenge and we have to face it.
  • Giving up is a lot harder than fixing something. For me I am so energetic and full of passion in starting to blog. I have been blogging off and on since 2008, but this past Summer I thought I had the good thing going for me. It was a blog where I gathered all the "top news" that I thought was very meaningful at the time or what I thought was "cool". The truth of the matter is that the whole concept was weak and was not gaining any quality readership. Sure people visited, but no one made a comment. Why? Probably, because they already commented on the matter.

    What was tough is cutting the line. I mean I put so much time and energy into it, but I thought about how much time and energy I would use to "fix it". I see the saying of "never give up" the same as "if it isn't broke don't fix it". You should give up at times and you need to fix something that isn't broke. This fixing is what I call improvement.

    And you sure do learn a lot more when just giving up, because you hurt yourself through time and effort when trying to "never give up" on something that should have just been cut.
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