Amaka Okemadu: Do Winners Never Truly Quit?

Catchphrases like “never give up” or “never quit” have become clichés in our modern language. They have gained popularity, after all, it’s undeniable that nearly every worthwhile endeavour requires commitment and consistency in order to gain significant progress. When faced with challenges or a lack of motivation, it’s natural to feel tempted to give up or quit, and we know that succumbing to this instinct is not the way to go if you want to achieve your goals and objectives. Instead, we should persevere and stay committed to our pursuit in order to make meaningful strides forward.

Ours is a society that makes us believe that our self-worth is tied to status, staying ahead of the pack, grinding until you drop dead and generally being superhumans caught up in the wheels of constant chasing and achieving goals. We see the literal manifestation of this belief system in how we regard and acknowledge people – “Oh, he or she is the greatest (insert any fancy accolade of your choice),” Great, now take your self-worth card.” 

There are instances when your mind and heart are at odds with something, and you strongly believe that every fibre of your being wants to let go. Yet, you find yourself bombarded with the same tired clichés that urge you to never give up or declare that winners never quit. These clichés can haunt you, compelling you to wake up at four in the morning to continue a job or business that lacks motivation, demanding an excessive amount of energy for minimal promised results. Or you persist in having painful dialogues with individuals who are resistant to change, solely for the sake of obtaining social approval and adhering to the idea of never giving up. There’s no pat on the back for choosing rest, inner peace, contentment or just existing and being in the moment, yet we wonder why we are experiencing a collective hike in anxiety levels, persistent inner turmoil, alarming sense of loss and emptiness despite comparative gains in hindsight.

In times like this, it is crucial to carefully evaluate what truly matters to you.

Sometimes, when you relentlessly pursue things that have lost their relevance and no longer hold value, you may achieve them only to realise they no longer bring the satisfaction you once desired. It is, therefore, important to understand that we have limited time on this planet and make use of it judiciously, and this includes not chasing something that brings you no fulfilment. Indeed, quitters may not win, but quitting something that isn’t meant for you or aligns with your true calling can be a path to greater victories.

Truth is that even if/when something is meant for you, you never know the step-by-step chart of how it will all play out. It also doesn’t mean it’s going to be super easy every day. When we zoom in on whether to keep chasing a thing or not, what we’d find is the resistance attached to the estimated risk involved, and then the value of the goal. Letting go of X could mean the loss of Y, therefore the loss of Y would result in suffering. However, choosing to hold on to X, even though it is crushing you, would still result in suffering. In the end, it boils down to knowing what subtracts from or adds to your desired goal. Evaluating these factors can help inform your decision-making process regarding whether to persist in chasing a goal or to quit.

By now, you understand that it may be difficult to completely erase every trace of discomfort, and this lends perspective to the fact that life itself is a risk. If you realise this, you won’t be alarmed even when the choice to do or not to do comes at a cost, because your only job would be deciding what’s worth labouring for and why.

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