Ever had reach-for-the-stars dreams that feel almost impossible to achieve? What about a milestone on the horizon so close to being met? Or even just a to-do list as long as your leg that would be a celebratory event to complete? Today is NEVER GIVE UP DAY and it’s here to remind each of us just how important it is to persevere and keep going even when things get tough for us.
“Never Give Up Day is about a mindset of determination to help us get through even the hardest of challenges. It’s about motivating others, inspiring ourselves and remembering that even in the hard times, the hardest, we can keep going.”
The day brings people together from all walks of life, those who have reached incredible heights, those who are on their way, and those just getting started. The day isn’t only to applaud people who have previously and are currently smashing goals, but also to support those who are trying, so this is your personal reminder for wherever you are in life: don’t give up.
Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said;
“There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”
And here at Beingwell, we’re no strangers to the idea that most things in life are easier said than done! So what holds us back?
3 reasons we might give up a little too quickly:
1. Fear of failure
Failure, mistakes, getting it wrong. All daunting as a tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon, but none as fatal if it were to actually happen right? As humans we ALL make mistakes, it’s part of the learning process. We get things wrong all the time, but if we didn’t try and didn’t get it wrong we’d never know. The fear of failure can be a real barrier for all of us to reach our goals, ambitions, and even our daily responsibilities.
2. Lack of self-belief
We can often be our own worst enemy, not believing in our capabilities, lacking confidence in our skills, or letting pesky imposter syndrome take over. When we don’t believe we’re talented enough, strong enough, skilled enough, good enough, we can be quick to fall off the path and back into familiar routines that have previously kept us feeling a little stuck.
3. Ambiguity, distraction and a lack of focus
Poorly defined goals and distractions, which there are many of in our busy lives - the group chat buzzing every 5 minutes, the laundry needs hanging out, hungry mouths need feeding (even if it’s just your own) - is a brilliant recipe (but not one we recommend) for a lack of focus, which can diminish motivation and make it feel so much easier to give up.
Any of this sound a little familiar to you? Even as a team of experts and wellbeing warriors we’ve been graced by all of these at some point, but we’ve also got some tricks up our sleeves to help us keep going:
3 ways to keep moving forward
1. Do things badly
We learn from our mistakes and not getting things right, and fearing failure will only ever hold us back. We won’t know how good we are at anything without trying, and we can combat this fear by purposefully doing things badly. It helps us get through the fear whilst showing us how little it matters if things don’t go quite right the first time (for the most part, we don’t recommend jumping in a plane and attempting to be a pilot).
Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first.
2. Notice your capabilities
Take a moment to think about all your achievements, big and small. Looking back, how many things have you managed to do that you once thought you couldn’t - write these down to remind yourself when the doubt creeps in, repeat them to remember how fabulous you are every day!
3. Schedule your time
We do have so many things to keep up with these days which can mean finding the time to be productive, for self-care or even to keep up with hobbies can feel difficult. Try scheduling time by breaking the days up into chunks for different things you need to do, or if you’re not a schedule kind of person, try flexible scheduling where you could make a to-do list each day to keep you moving forward without too much rigidity.
Go do the things you’ve been putting off, make the plan, do something new! Have a go and if it doesn’t work out - it’s just an opportunity to find something better! You can find out more about the day here.
Beingwell reminder: Never Give Up Day is here to remind us to keep going, even when things get tough. We’re here to remind you that you can do that in whatever way you need right now. Don’t let perfectionism stand in your way, believe in yourself and make time for the things that matter to you. If you’re struggling right now, you’re not alone and taking things day by day is still moving forward.
Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow’.
#gracemcmahon #livingwell #copingwell #selfbelief #NeverGiveUpDay #nevergiveup #keepgoing #motivation #selfcare #beingwell