Here’s your scenario. You have your big project, goal or plan. You work out what you need to achieve each day, week or month to reach your objective.
You start working methodically through your action list. You work hard.
Yet some days you feel you are not progressing at the rate you would like. The results you are seeking are either not happening or taking too long to materialize. Some days may even feel like you are going backward!
At one point or another (usually on one of those days were everything seems to be going wrong) you hear a tiny voice in your head saying, ‘Maybe I should just give up?’
If you feel yourself wanting to quit, here are 10 tips to keep you going when you feel like giving up.
Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
1. Reassess your goals and targets
Perhaps your targets going into your new project were unrealistic?
Did you underestimate how long a particular task would take to complete or overestimate how much work you could complete in one day?
Have a look over your original plan of attack and work out if it needs reassessing.
Check that your targets align with the actions you are performing. Once you have a more realistic plan, go from there.
Perhaps you weren’t clear enough on your goals right from the start? If you need help achieving your goals, the Slay Your Goals Planner can help. Start by downloading the Free Slay Your Goals Guide and go from there.
You can also read my review of the planner here.
2. Are you doing enough?
Let me reword that. Are you doing enough of the right tasks to achieve the results you want?
You might be working your butt off – but working on all the wrong things.
When I first started writing I had a tendency to ‘tinker’. I would work on a blog post, then skip to a pitch and write a few paragraphs, then check email. What I wasn’t doing was finishing and sending work out.
I still tinker occasionally, mostly when I am tired, though now I am aware of my actions and can rein them in accordingly.
Your problem might be tinkering but dealing with distractions. Do you have more distractions and interruptions than you realize? Are your 4 hours working on a particular task, only 2 hours in reality?
Look at what is stopping you from achieving your set outputs.
Related post – 12 Reasons You Are Not Moving Forward Fast Enough
3. Get real about your weaknesses
We all have our weaknesses and bad habits. Pretending we don’t have weaknesses won’t help up in the long run.
If you know you are prone to procrastinate but reaching your goal relies on your never procrastinating, you could be in trouble from the get-go.
Are you basing the completion of your project on making a major personality change where you never give in to your weaknesses?
Yes, you can change and develop as you grow (that’s the whole idea after all) but most likely this change will not be overnight. In the meantime, you need to take into account your current weaknesses and bad habits.
Being aware of what those weaknesses are is a healthy start.
Related post – Know Your Own Weaknesses
4. Play up to your strengths
This goes double for your strengths.
Be aware of and make the very best out of the strengths you already possess. Your strengths are what will make your project flourish.
If you are unsure what your strengths are, do some soul-searching and work them out. Everyone has strengths.
Use them to your advantage.
Related post – Know Your Own Strength
5. Accept some days may be more productive than others
I like to think that even the most successful people have the odd bad day here and there. By bad I mean unproductive.
It’s important to accept you won’t be working at 100% percent capacity every single day, day in day out.
Your productivity is more likely to be a cycle of peaks and troughs. Accept this flow and run with it, instead of trying to fight against it.
6. Do the easy thing first
I realize time management gurus will probably disagree with this one. Naturally, this advice is only relevant when you having no pressing deadlines.
If you are having one of those days where you could just throw in the towel and hide under the bed covers for the next month, do the easy/familiar/comfortable task first. It will help get your motivation rolling, enabling you to move onto one of your more challenging tasks.
7. Delegate if and where possible
When you start a new project delegation may not be an option as you simply may have no one to delegate to or the money to afford to pay someone to help you.
Where and when the opportunity arises, delegate out some of your responsibilities.
8. Take some time out – but not too long!
If you really need a break or time out from your project – then take it.
The other key is to not take too long a break, that you lose your momentum. The idea of time out is to replenish yourself, not break your motivation entirely.
9. Reach out for help
If you have a big project you want to complete, you might consider working with a coach or mentor that you can confide in regularly.
This can help you deal with wanting to give up along the way.
If help from a professional is not in your budget, talk to a dear friend – preferably one who is a good listener and non-judgmental.
10. Seek out inspiration
Do you have a favorite quote, poem, book or song that inspires you?
Have it handy in time of self-doubt to remember why it resonates with you.
Related posts that might help you get motivated –
- My 7 Motivational Songs
- 8 More Motivational Songs
- 7 Inspirational Videos Featuring Mel Robbins
- My Favorite TED Talks by Inspirational Women
- 5 More Fabulous TED Talks
Perhaps you find your inspiration from walks in the park with your dog or playing with your kids. Whatever it is that reinvigorates you, make the most of this precious time to be inspired.
Once you’ve got yourself back in the right mindset, get back to your project, ready for the challenge at hand – knowing that giving up is not an option.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends via social media. One of them just might need a pick me up today!