“I give up…”

We’ve all said it. If you found this post on google, you just told your computer you give up. 

But you don’t mean it. You aren’t giving up. 

If you were, you wouldn’t be reading this post, and you wouldn’t be bothering to try to make a change. 

I have no idea where you’re at right now. 

But I do know that you are valuable and have a part to play in this crazy world. This is not a worthless platitude, it’s the truth. 

Do one thing for me please?

Don’t give up today. Tomorrow is your call. But today: Don’t. Give. Up. 

I believe in people, and I believe in you. 

I also believe in ridiculously actionable strategies to get out of the pits and back onto solid ground.

Action is where the money is, and we are going to take massive action here. If you’re ready to work it, reading this post will gear you up for battle and hopefully, you won’t be ready to give up today. 

We are going from “I give up” to quickly “glowing up” and making a difference in our lives. 

Urban Dictionary defines “glow up” as an “incredible transformation,” or “to go from the bottom to the top to the point of disbelief.”

I like this definition, but we can do better. 

Glow up means, “Becoming your best self and reaching your potential.”

With the strategies here we will become our best selves and begin to reach our god-given potential. 

Let’s move you from “I give up” to super-powered “glow up” in minutes.

Strategy #1 Don’t Give Up, Meet Yourself Where You’re at

It’s okay to be wherever you are at right now, in this very moment. 

Bringing guilt baggage along for the ride is a very difficult way to live, and it doesn’t do any good. Feeling the weight of past decisions will prevent you from moving forward and glowing up. You’ll only find yourself wanting to give up over and over again, with no progress made. 

Don’t get stuck here. 

We always talk of meeting others where they are at. We need to start doing this with ourselves. 

Have you ever heard the terrible, nasty, and horrible things we say to ourselves?

We wouldn’t be caught dead speaking to our worst enemy the way we talk to ourselves. In fact, we need to learn how to power up our self talk. We need to be nicer to ourselves, and treat our own thoughts with more care. 

But it doesn’t stop here. 

Meeting yourself where you are at means moving on and continuing to grow and eventually, glow. 

It’s okay to exactly where we are at right now, but it’s not okay to stay there. If we stay, we’ll keep falling into the same old traps. Guilt, pain and life’s trials will continue to drag us down.

To do this, take a deep breath and accept the here and now. Embrace whatever issue it is you are facing, and accept it. 

Then make a plan for ONE thing to do right now to change your situation for the better. 

  • Need to lose weight? Take a walk or eat a healthy dinner.
  • Looking to quit your job? Take steps to become a digital nomad or research other work you can do with your skillset. 
  • Life seems way too hard? Make a plan to meet with someone you trust and ask for help. There is no shame in asking for help.

These examples only scratch the surface of the problems many of us face. Take your main problem and take one step to healing. Once you take that step, take the next and so fourth. 

We are either moving forward or taking a step back. Doing nothing to solve your problem is making a decision to do nothing, and you’ll be sent back. Take a step forward today, whatever that means for you and your unique situation.

Strategy #2: Get some Gratitude for You

The power of gratitude is real. It’s more than just being thankful for others, it’s loving yourself. It’s being okay with the you that you are. It’s being grateful for what you are, what you have, and how far you’ve come. 

So, don’t give up today. No. Instead, make a list of the top ten things you like about yourself. It can be that tennis trophy you earned in middle school, your eccentric hairstyle, or your uncanny ability to make the world’s best peach smoothie. 

Make this list now. I know, you probably don’t feel like it, but it will only take two minutes. 

Grab a napkin or the notes app on your phone and make a short bulleted list. Don’t hold back. You are awesome. Now tell yourself why. This list will come in handy for the next strategy.

Strategy #3: Build on What You Have and Never Give Up

Building off your gratitude list, what are you good at?

What do you have to offer this world that is unique to you? 

What are you more awesome at than other people?

What do you enjoy most?

People feel like giving up because they don’t know the answers to these questions OR they don’t believe them. 

I can’t swim well, nor do I go under water. I don’t like it one bit. I also have crippling anxiety that crops up from time to time that affects my daily life. I also can’t find my way around without a GPS. Like, at all. 

I’m not perfect. If perfect was the Sun I’d be Pluto. 

But I know what I’m good at too.

I’m good at writing, I focus so hard I lose track of time, and I can throw a frisbee several different ways. I also have a moral compass that goes on high alert every time I’m in a grocery story and a kid behind the counter gives me free meatballs. It happens all the time, and I am forced to say something every time. 

I love me, and I think you need to love yourself too. 

Make a list of ten things you are good at. Chances are, you are much better at some things than I am. Can you swim? Well, you just beat me. Can you find your way around? Good for you. 

These skills might not pay the bills, but find ways to do more of them more often. 

If you love to hike, are good at hiking, and it always clears your head when you go out into nature, find ways to do this more often. Easier said than done, but find out what brings out the highest level in you and do these things.

Strategy #4 Get to Know Yourself and Never Again say “I Give Up”

Don’t give up on life just because you are failing or struggling where you at right now. Nothing lasts forever. Get to know yourself so that you can maximize your skills and find out what you are meant to do. 

If you know yourself, you’ll learn what brings you down. You’ll be able to avoid your breaking point much more often when you know who you are. 

You’ll also discover what you have to offer and what makes you tick. Learning about oneself can be frightening, but also enlightening. It’s not easy to delve deeper into you, but it’s worth every second. 

I love taking tests to get to know myself more. There are a variety of online tests you can take. Here are some of the most popular and ones I recommend:

  1. The Myers-Briggs Personality Test
  2. CliftonStrengths
  3. The Enneagram 

You could find many others, but I like these three. 

The only caveat? We are NOT defined by these tests. Use them as a means to get to know yourself more. If you don’t agree? Don’t take the test as fact. These are used as a way to help you get to know who you are. 

Once you know yourself, your tendency to give up will be challenged by your powerful uniqueness. You’ll not be able to give up as easily knowing the world has need of you.

Strategy #5: Embrace an Abundance Mindset

No, this doesn’t mean everyone gets a trophy. 

It means knowing there is more than enough to go around, especially when we start to grow and reach our potential. 

More than this, it means embracing the truth that you have a choice. You can choose to stay exactly where you are, or embrace a new you and a new direction.

Keys to having an abundance mindset:

  • Saying “I can do that,” or “I can afford that,” to yourself on a consistent basis. You may not be able to do that right now or afford that right now, but why not someday?
  • Embracing change as a good thing and not something to avoid.
  • Being proactive and intentional about life. 
  • Willing to let go and move on when something isn’t working toward a new idea or way of doing something. 
  • Choosing to hang around people with a positive life outlook.
  • Give freely and abundantly. It’s counterintuitive, but giving time and money slides you directly into the abundant mindset. 

Believe there is more than enough to go around and that giving up isn’t an option. You’ll find success if you continue to work and push toward your goals. It won’t happen overnight, but with the power of the hustle, you can do anything.

Strategy #6: Don’t Compare Yourself to Others.

One of the worst things you can do is compare yourself to others. There is always someone ahead of us, and this a good thing! Use that person as a guidepost to keep growing.

If you’re a tennis prodigy, you may never be as good as Roger Federer. Analyze his habits and see what he does. Make a plan to practice following his tips and you’ll find success. 

If you’re a newbie podcaster, you won’t be at the level of one of the most popular podcasters out there, Pat Flynn. Listen to his podcasts and do things to emulate his success. 

If you want to be a leader, read books by John C. Maxwell. Follow his teachings and implement his ideas and tactics. 

Don’t compare, copy!

If someone has done it before follow in their footsteps. It’s easy to get jealous, it’s another thing altogether to move past the jealousy and hustle.

Remember, you are NOT someone else, you are YOU! Be your unique self and stop comparing yourself to other people. It’s not healthy and won’t do you any good. 

Be the best version of yourself today by learning from others, and doing your best to be you.

Strategy #7: Sweat the Small Stuff and get a Quick Win

This post is filled with some heavy (albeit important) stuff. 

But maybe you want even more actionable and easy tips you can take right now to avoid giving up?

I don’t want you to give up and these five quick and easy tips will help:

  • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Might sound silly, but not drinking enough water has a direct impact on our moods,.
  • Get plenty of sleep. The hustle is fine for short periods, but don’t neglect sleep. You need it. 
  • Go on a walk and ponder life. Walking fires up your brain and gets you thinking in a positive direction. It’s hard to be sad after drinking a glass of water and walking out in the sunshine. 
  • Smile.. Simple yet effective for turning your mindset from “I give up” to “Wow I can do this!”
  • Talk to a loved one. Call someone close to you or go out on a coffee date. Even the most introverty of introverts need to be with people from time to time. 
  • And 20 more small ideas here

If you’re in the need for more ways to find momentum in this life and are sick of feeling like quitting, check out my book here for getting Volcanic Momentum in your life. It’s filled with practical and actionable ways to avoid giving up. 

Best of luck to you, and never forget: Don’t give up. You got this. Take it one day and one step at a time. Don’t quit today and take a small action step to work toward greater success. 

-Jordan