The Don't Quit Poem

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown –

Everyone has had the experience of setting goals to achieve a plan or dream only to find him or herself facing obstacles. Obstacles may be discovered early in the process or later in the game, but they almost certainly will appear. Your obstacles may come in the form of lack of resources. No enough information or funds to make the progress you had planned. Perhaps real life issues involving others distract your focus and you feel you just cannot move ahead in reaching your dreams. No goal or dream of any value is obtained without a struggle. The key is to remain motivated during the difficulties. Explore your options to slow down, move around the obstacle, or if it all feels like that uphill battle, take a rest. Reexamine your final destination but do not give up on that dream. Detours and delays will not result in failure but quitting most certainly will. Do not quit!

Those who get ahead in personal and professional goals are those who keep trying. Sometimes life deals a strange blow and the way you react to the challenge determines the victory. Very few successful individuals reach their destinations following a plan set in stone. Instead, they have learned to adapt and adjust along the way. The process of setting goals for both personal and professional development encompasses a commitment to you to reach that final goal. Often that means being prepared to encounter obstacles along the way and explore alternative paths for making your plans work. There is wisdom in the old adages that if at first you do not succeed try, try again! You never know when that final push will be what it takes to break through that obstacle or press over the top of that hill you have been challenging.

If you have ever quit to soon on a goal or project only to see someone else achieve the goal we were pursuing, chances are you realized to late how close you were to the same solution. Perhaps you second-guessed yourself. Have you ever convinced yourself that it was useless to try a simple solution only to find out too late that you were on the right track but had given up to soon? That will not happen as long as you don not quit. Do not give up on your goals and dreams. The goals and dreams that dwell within you are part of you. When you fail to press on to reaching those goals, you give up on yourself. Do not do it! Do not give up on who you are or who you are meant to be.

The silver tint inside every struggle you face is the success that is closer than you think during those dark moments of self-doubt. You have no way to know just how close you are to gaining the victory. You can arm yourself with options to use in pressing past the difficult times of self-doubt or uncertainty by finding those who have been successful. Motivational quotes and poems such as the one that reminds us not to quit may be the one small tool or insight you need to keep pressing ahead. Take time to equip yourself now with positive motivational thoughts, quotes, tips and ideas and when you find yourself engaged in a struggle to reach personal or professional goals remember you can make it happen if you just do not quit.

Here are some resources to help you prepare to keep moving in the face of obstacles and self-doubt.