When times get tough, sometimes it feels like the only option is giving up. No matter how many times you fail or how hard things get, keep pushing on – you can do whatever you put your mind to!

For Never Give Up Day, we are sharing some helpful tips to improve your motivation, determination, perseverance, and resilience.

The Art of Never Giving Up

Never giving up is a skill that you have to practice to get better at, just like swimming and painting. You have to get in the right mindframe, learn all the techniques, then put all that hard work into practice throughout your life.

Even when you think you’ve mastered it, there will be times in your life when a challenge becomes so difficult, that you just want to call it a day. After all, never giving up is a lot easier said than done.

Don’t beat yourself up for wanting to give up, though. It’s a natural human responses which has become even harder due to everyone posting their highlights and successes of social media. It makes failure seem miserable, instead of something that helps you to grow, learn, and get even better.

Top tips

Here’s a couple of things that you can try when you want to give up, but know you shouldn’t:

1. Motivate yourself

Sometimes giving up seems like the best way forward because you lose sight of your goals. Reminds yourself of WHY you are trying to complete this challenge. It’s important to find ways to motivate yourself to continue – whether that’s listening to a motivational podcast, or taking some time to journal.

2. Remember that perfection does not exist

The term practice makes perfect is a lie. Practice makes progress. Any progress you make, no matter how small, is helping you to get to where you want to be. Striving for perfection when it doesn’t exist can be really damaging to your end goal. Instead, try to be happy with doing your best – that’s all you can ask of yourself.

3. Be patient

Whether your end goal is weeks, months, or even years away, you have to be patient to get there! Working toward your goals requires chipping them off a little at a time. When things seem like they’re going too slow, try to remind yourself of how far you have come.

4. Failure isn’t bad

Even though failing can make us feel rubbish and temporarily set us back, we actually gain so much when things don’t go to plan. Failing helps us to problem solve and work out solutions to problems we didn’t plan for.

5. Break things into smaller steps

When a challenge seems so large and out of reach, it can feel so achievable that the only option is to quit. Try breaking down your challenge into smaller, more achievable steps. Ticking them off a to-do list can help you visual your progression and bring you even closer to your goal.

6. Try to build resilience

Having resilience means having the tools to be able to withstand difficulties from challenges, or bouncing back from them when things go wrong.

6. Pause, don’t quit!

When you really want to stop, take a break, but don’t quit. Pausing your task and giving yourself some time to breathe and relax can be good for your productivity and your mental health. Whether it’s a 30 minute snack break, or a long walk, taking a break may help you to see things more clearly so you can try again.

7. Be positive

Being positive does not mean being naive or happy all the time, but it can really help you to see the good in difficult situations. It’s easy to be cynical and pessimistic, but being positive can really pay off. It’s all about changing your mindset.

8. Ask for help

Remember, you can always ask those around you for help when you want to quit. If you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to, you can talk to Meic. Meic is the helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 in Wales. You can get free and confidential help from the advisors by phone, text, or online chat.

Related Information

Visit TheSprout’s mental health info page for more information about accessing support for your mental heallth and wellbeing.