SHAKING THE TREE ... #17
Tempted to give up? Do this instead …
Do you feel like you’re not making progress?
Have you ever set out to do something only to pack it all in in short order because you’re not seeing the results you thought you ought to be seeing?
Join the club.
At some point we have all thought long and hard about throwing in the towel on some project or other, either because we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, or because we’re not as enamored by the effort we need to put in as we thought we were.
Sometimes the view simply isn’t worth the climb and we have to be OK with that.
But for other things, well, the view IS worth the climb and the only way we’re going to see that view is by slogging onward regardless of pain, loss, personal misgivings, and out and out fear.
I think really most of us quit whatever we’re quitting because we fear becoming the person we will become once we make it. We think the person we once were won’t recognize us and that frankly, neither will the people we used to know.
Giving up is a natural response to failure or difficulty, and while it’s seen as an easy option, it comes with the baggage of regret … baggage that’s hard to put down.
So really, giving up is an important thing to resist.
By not giving up there’s so much more to gain: personal growth, skill development, and ultimately, the success we crave.
When faced with challenges, it’s important to stay focused on the end goal and to remember that the key to achieving success lies in endurance, in persistence, and in our solid commitment to progress.
Take this newsletter as an example: this is edition 17. I write and publish Shaking the Tree twice a week and I plan on repeating this exercise every week for the foreseeable future.
I published the first edition of Shaking the Tree at the beginning of May and to date I’ve gained four subscribers. Yes, that’s right: four subscribers, every one of whom I thank for sticking with me.
Now, while gaining four subscribers in eight weeks might seem like a bit of a let down, I see this as a spectacular success because real people care enough about my point of view to spend their time reading my opinion.
This point alone is enough to keep me committed to keep going.
I could easily have packed it all in a month ago but then, I wouldn’t be here now, writing this and you’d be none the wiser, now would you?
My point here is that the act of not giving up—which is something of an act of rebellion in and of itself—is something that can, I hope, inspire other people to do something creative—even if at first it seems like things are going nowhere, because by sticking with it I’m building a sense of resilience within a community.
Ultimately, while success (whatever it looks like) may not come immediately, the mere act of persevering through adversity—even when only four people are reading this—can and will lead to a stronger and more fulfilling outcome (for me and for you as one of my readers).
Don't give up. Do the following 7 things instead:
Take a break: Sometimes, stepping away from the situation can clear your mind and help you come up with a new approach.
Seek support: Talk to friends, family, or a therapist who can offer encouragement, advice, and perspective.
Reframe your mindset: Instead of focusing on what's going wrong, try to see the situation as an opportunity to learn, grow, or develop resilience.
Set achievable goals: Break down the problem into smaller, more manageable steps, and celebrate each small victory.
Practice self-care: Take care of your physical and emotional needs by eating healthily, getting enough sleep, and doing activities that bring you joy.
Learn from failure: Use setbacks as an opportunity to reflect on what went wrong and how you can improve in the future.
Keep moving forward: Remember that progress is not always linear, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Keep pushing forward, and don't give up on your dreams.
As always, thanks for reading.
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And if you’ve like what you’ve seen here, why not become a subscriber?
P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … How to create better content, part 1