Quitting is a disease.
With the beginning of a new year comes the inevitable strategy to maintain a list of over-ambitious resolutions we’ve created for ourselves. Most of us won’t make it past a matter of weeks, and then we’ve fallen back into our old habits.
While it may sound nice to create big, lofty goals for ourselves, it’s not the best solution to ensure success. If you find yourself falling off of the proverbial bandwagon each time you set goals for yourself, take an introspective look at what’s deterring you from making it happen.
We’ve all quit something at some point in our lives, and it should not be seen as a failure. Embrace these shortcomings as lessons to learn how to effectively devise a strategy that’s easily attainable for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Don’t Do It Alone
Everything is better when someone else is doing it with you – sex, basketball, drinking games – it takes two to tango, so be sure to enlist the help of friends and family. By doing so, they will hold you accountable for the goals you’ve set for yourself. Be wary of telling your girlfriend, though. It could backfire.
Give It Time
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your pubes didn’t sprout overnight. We want to accomplish great things, yet we’re not willing to sacrifice the time it might take to see our goals to fruition. Slow down. Stop and smell the roses. Delay gratification.
Be Pacific. Not Atlantic
You read correctly. My 3rd grade English teacher was the master of the malapropism, and we always knew what she meant. When setting goals, be Pacific (specific). Don’t just tell yourself that you’re going to lose weight. Quantify the outcome by assigning specific numbers with a specific timeline for completion.
Failure Is Okay
This may sound strange, but it’s true. If you’re setting goals for yourself and you’re able to achieve all of them with ease, you’re not pushing yourself enough. It’s when we fail that we learn to readjust. Use this quote by Colin Powell to keep it all in perspective: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Reward Yourself
When you accomplish a milestone of achievement, be sure to reward yourself! If you’ve decided to cut back on drinking, a suitable reward would be binge drinking followed by a night of risky sexual behavior with multiple partners. Clearly, I’m kidding, but if one of your goals is to start a family – then by all means, rock it out! If you’ve got a girlfriend, perhaps she can think of some enticing rewards…
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing whatever you want!
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From the ‘Atlantic’ side – Great article!!
Ray,
Thanks for the comment and way to be “Atlantic.” I hope that you’ll continue to read TheRugged.com as we increase our content!
GREAT advice!! Keep it coming!
Brent,
Thanks for the words! Any suggestions? I’d like to know what you’d like to read on the site.
Stay rugged!
Thanks for the article! Think I might need to make you my life coach; seriously, great advice. I plan on getting Pacific later today.
Ryan,
Life coach, eh? If you’ve got additional questions, feel free to check out “ask the experts” section or shoot an email to (stephen)(@)(therugged)(.)(com) sans parentheses, of course.
Stay rugged!
Great Advice!
Geoffrey,
Thanks! Be sure to subscribe! You can also find TheRugged.com on Facebook and Twitter. Links can be found at the top of the page. If you need help, just let me know!
I love the part about giving it time, my pubes didn’t sprout overnight lol!
Lynelle,
That whole theory about hard liquor sprouting pubes. Yeah… that’d be false. It makes for for evenings with friends, though! Thanks for reading!
Really really solid advice! If I could add a 6th piece, it would be “Know Your Limits”. Don’t try and go from 100lbs overweight to shredded 6-pack in 1 month. It’s not realistic. Don’t go from eating out 10 meals a week to 0, take it down to 2 or 3. Don’t cutout 100% of soda/beer, just cut back slowly. The harder you make it on yourself, the less likely you are to succeed.
Love this piece and looking forward to more from TheRugged!
Jason,
You’re so right! Oftentimes, people will take on too much and spread themselves thin, which leads to burnout. It’s always important to tackle things in “bited-sized” chunks… much like a toddler. As many times as our parents tell us to “properly chew our food,” you’d think that we’d heed that advice in other areas of our lives because it definitely applies.
I’d say you have a firm grasp on this already, no?
What’s the secret to the amazing success of your company iwearyourshirt.com?
Is quitting contagious?
You know you are packed with positive energy! That is fantastic!! I’m off to be Pacific! (not to be confused with Pacifier) Cheers!
Peas Out!
~daddy b.
D.B.,
Interesting name and thanks for the kind words. I’m pretty sure the 5+ cans of RedBull I consume each day have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Pacifier? Are we teething?
I hope that you’ll continue to read TheRugged.com for “rugged” advice!
Great Article!! Words of wisdom on how to handle lifestyle changes and make them managable.
Love the piece….I also look forward to more!!
Anonymous,
You’re most welcome! Be sure to check out all the other content on the site!
Thanks for the compliment!
Great article, Stephen.
Sometimes the hardest part of life is determining whether to stay the course or move on. It doesn’t help that the old-wives’ sayings like “quitters never prosper” ring in our ears. When something is clearly a negative-sum endeavor, it’s often worse to stick with it than to quit, but it can take some thought to determine that.
Losing weight, stopping smoking and other life-improving undertakings are ALWAYS positive-sum endeavors, and really can’t be “quit” so much as they hit a temporary roadblock. Which offers a rule you missed: Look for Another Way.
Cheers!
Michael,
I’m a big fan of thoughtful responses, so thank you for that! I agree with your comment 100% as knowing when to throw in the towel is an important life lesson that we could all benefit from.
“Looking for another way” is certainly a helpful addition to my list. I’ve found that there have been times when I’ve looked for another way, but in hindsight, it was probably best to throw in the towel. I think the key to this is to examine all possibilities and weigh the pros and cons. If the cons outweigh the pros, then it looks like the decision has been made.
Life is full of choices, and I think we need to remind ourselves that mistakes are okay. Failure is okay. It’s what we do with those less-than-optimum moments that’s the most important.
Stay rugged!
Great article man…
Insightful and to the point!
I find it funny how we’d wish our pubes had grown overnight…only to shave em’ anyway.
Enter plug for Nerelco Bodygroom here.
Mike,
Thanks for the comment! I don’t think I knew what they were until high school. I just assumed dirt was somehow getting in my undies while I slept. It was a terrifying time in my life.
Stay rugged!
Stephen!! I loved this! It made me laugh out loud several times
Can’t wait for the next article!
Katie, I’m glad you liked! Are you subscribed to TheRugged.com, and have you found the fan page on Facebook? Be sure to look us up! Giveaways will be coming soon!
Yeah I completely agree with your sound advice. Great read. . I think you should do a follow up to this ” What to do when you have already given up.”