Something I have noticed over my years of teaching is the phases or steps that people will take when they are quitting something. This honestly has taken me down a path to start writing a book on this very topic. I think that if we could all recognize these steps we can both stop others from giving up and also keep ourselves on track.
Normally there is some sort of challenge that we face that makes us consider quitting. It could be anything from something happening in our lives to an injury or even just plain old discomfort or fatigue.
I have been fortunate enough in my 34 years of doing martial arts to have only two major injuries. The first was a broken arm that took forever to heal. As with every injury, it definitely tested my patience and resolve. The defining moment that hit me one day was I couldn’t change my oldest daughter’s diaper. The pressure of holding the tab down was extremely difficult and very painful. I literally had to ask for her help. This just crushed me! I thought to myself how martial arts had always provided for me; but now it threatened my ability to take care of my child. It put me in my head thinking about discontinuing my training all together. It made me question never stepping on the mats to train or teach ever again. These are the cross roads we all hit from time to time. It could be in our activities or hobbies. It might be with our friends, family, co-workers and even a significant other. This is the moment you typically start to change direction and quit.
Napoleon Hill said, “All too often people quit when the going gets tough, often then just one more step would have carried them triumphantly to victory.” Guess what? He’s right. I’ve bombed out of early divisions competing and thought I should just pack it up and go home. Then under the guidance of friends, I stepped back into the ring and won multiple championships that same weekend. Now turning it around isn’t always that quick; but it is safe to say we should remember that, “…even your worst days only have 24 hours.”
When you find yourself entering this thought process of whether you should keep going, take a second. Step back and breath. Detach from the situation. Take a bird’s eye view of what you have in front of you. Analyze the situation and look at all routes. Then, sleep on it.
Take your time making what could be the best choice or the largest disaster of your life. Find in your heart the direction that will help you grow the most. Then make it the choice. Stay the course or make the change.
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