Giving Up, Quitting?

This time of year often has people quitting on their new year resolutions.  Tis the season to give up.

I'm here to say DON'T. Not because I am a pillar of hope and success, but because I am an example of what happens when you do give up. Do you know how many things I could be by now if I ever just stuck with something?

Think back across your life, how many times have you quit? Okay, how many times have you quit for no good reason? I'm pretty certain it's not just me. Please say it's not just me.

It's me isn't it?
Damn.

Skills I don't have...

It's not just goals I give up, like the usual stop drinking, eat healthy blah blah blah, but I give up skills. WHY? If I had kept to at least one of my extra curricular activities when I was younger I could have been:

• a footballer
• a basketballer (REAL WORD*)
• a journalist
• a guitarist
• an urban/street dancer
• a pianist
• a ballerina
• an artist
• a french person
• a tap dancer
• a swimmer 
• a netballer (see above re: real word)

More often than not people quit things because they are hard, or they hold no interest for that individual. I was pretty good at the majority of these things, so why do I quit? Laziness I'm guessing, and what seems to be a deep rooted aversion to personal achievement.

Oh, the effort, emanating from my body...

To put it into perspective, here are things that I am, thanks to NOT quitting:

• an unemployed graduate
• an ex-smoker

Before you say "Hey well done on those two things!" with only a small hint of sarcasm, I probably could have earned a 1st but coasted to a 2:1, and quitting smoking is much easier when you have £0 in your bank.

I know what you're thinking, but I am not all self-pity, I don't think I am a total failure. I just know I could be better, and this is my mission for 2014, be the best that I could be. If I gave up on my goals this year, well then what would be the difference between this year, and last year? Progress is key, and only by sticking with things, week in week out, can I truly see progression.


So stick with whatever it is you set out to do this year, all the way through this month, and into the next, and so on. When you start to think about giving up, or have a little slip, carry on. Think about how awesome you'll feel next year when you realise that you have quit smoking/lost weight/learned to play the ukele, you will have made a change in you life, you will have progressed. Feel proud, advance further on the life fulfillment pitch.

Or...


 ...carry on like every other year, and end up realising what a waste of effort that first month was, when you have just given up anyway. Forget about your goals for a few months, find yourself making the same ones come 31.12.2014, and then realise you are back at square one, become jealous of your friends that stuck it out and furthered themselves, bettered themselves. Question the futility of your life.

Are you the best person that you could be?

 Ne me quitte pas has nothing to do with quitting or giving up, but the word quit was close enough to quitte, and it got into my head, so, you're welcome.

*nope.