The Art of Not Quitting:
Only By Going Too Far Can You See How Far You Can Go

Most people quit too soon.

They hit a bump in the road, a moment of frustration, and suddenly it feels easier to walk away than to stick with it.

This is why most people aren't successful—because they give up just as things get hard.

If you've ever been tempted to quit when the going gets tough, you're not alone.

But here's the truth: Only by going too far can you see how far you can go.

There's a saying I often like to quote:

Right now, we live in the safest, most prosperous, and most connected world in recorded history.

We've never had so many opportunities, so many options, and so many avenues to explore.

And yet, this abundance has made us soft.

The very comfort we enjoy is leading us to quit far too early.

Quitting Too Soon Is the Root of Stagnation

Look around at the world today.

We've got more options than ever before.

A buffet of choices lies before us, from career paths to relationships to business ventures.

And yet, despite all this abundance, most people aren't thriving.

They aren't building the lives they dream of.

Why?

Because they quit too soon.

When you have so many options, it becomes easy to jump from one thing to the next, thinking, I'll just try something else.

This mindset is fatal.

By quitting early, you never get to develop the resilience, experience, or expertise needed to truly excel.

You're like a butterfly, flitting around from flower to flower, but never gathering roots strong enough to grow.

In this age of instant gratification, quitting has become an epidemic.

Relationships hit a rough patch?

Quit and find someone new.

The job gets overwhelming?

Quit and find something easier.

The side hustle isn’t growing fast enough?

Quit and try a new idea.

When you quit too soon, you rob yourself of the chance to learn, to grow, and to build the foundation of success.

Without going through the tough times, you’ll never develop the skill set or character that true success requires.

The Cost of Giving Up Too Soon

Let’s get real.

Think back to all the things you've started in your life but never finished.

How many times have you quit just as things started getting challenging?

And how did that decision feel in the long run?

Did walking away actually make your life easier, or did it leave you with a sense of unfinished business, a nagging feeling that you gave up too soon?

Quitting feels good in the moment.

It gives you instant relief.

But that relief is fleeting, and it often comes with a heavy price.

The cost of quitting too soon is that you never get to see what you're truly capable of.

Whether it’s a relationship that’s hit a difficult period, a job where it’s all hands on deck for the foreseeable future, or even that side hustle you’ve been dreaming of to get you out of the rat race—every one of these scenarios presents a choice.

Stick with it, or quit.

But quitting is sneaky.

It doesn’t always announce itself in big, bold letters.

Sometimes it’s a whisper in the back of your mind, convincing you that it’s not worth the effort.

Sometimes it shows up as procrastination, putting things off until tomorrow until tomorrow never comes.

Successful people know the secret.

There’s always a point where things get hard, but that’s not a sign to quit.

That’s a sign that you’re close to a breakthrough.

Let me ask you.

What if you’re on the edge of success but just don’t know it yet?

What if all it takes is pushing a little harder, going a little further, to finally break through the plateau?

When you quit, you never get the chance to see how far you could have gone.

You’ll always wonder, what if I had stuck with it?

And that regret?

It sticks with you.

The Flip Side: When to Quit and When to Push Through

Now, here’s the other side of the coin: sometimes, quitting is the right choice.

Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is to change course.

But here’s the key.

The only time quitting is wise is when you receive new information that changes the game.

When you learn something you didn’t know before, something that alters the calculus of your goals, then, and only then, should you consider stepping away.

Otherwise, quitting because it’s tough?

That’s not the answer.

People often confuse difficulty with a signal to quit.

But tough times are part of the process.

In fact, they’re essential.

Hard work, struggle, and persistence are the forge where success is created.

The struggle isn’t a sign that you should give up; it’s a sign that you’re in the process of becoming stronger.

Successful people understand this.

They don’t quit when things get hard.

They don’t look for the shortcut, the easy way out, or the quick fix.

Instead, they dig in.

They push harder, work longer, and get smarter.

The Path to Success Is Perseverance

Think about any successful person you admire—an entrepreneur, an athlete, a leader.

What do they all have in common?

They didn't quit when things got tough.

They endured.

They stuck it out.

And as a result, they came out stronger, wiser, and more successful.

Success isn’t about talent alone.

It’s about grit. It’s about resilience.

It’s about the ability to get knocked down and get back up, time and time again.

The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is often one simple thing: the willingness to stick with it long enough to see results.

I know this from personal experience.

My Own Experience with Failure, Grit and Stick-to-itiveness

It took me 11 years to earn my 1st-dan black belt from GM Bong Soo Han which included time off recovering from a ruptured and removed spleen and economic downturns when I couldn't afford the class fees.

But then, after that, it took me only 4 years to earn my 2nd-dan, learning the lessons from the journey of 1st-dan.

To date, I've been blessed to be with my wife for over 24 years but like all serious committed relationships, we have certainly had our dark days, sometimes months.

It would've been so easy to throw in the towel but thankfully we didn't and I love her now more than ever.

A few years ago, I retired after a 35-year career as a union electrician. My entrepreneurial friends thought I was foolish to stay in a job when I had so many opportunities to build my own business with the skills and networks I had acquired.

But those same people lament to me how they wished they had built a career, pension and annuity instead of going from business opportunity to business opportunity and how they will need to work into their 60s and maybe 70s.

5 Steps to Develop Resilience

1. Commit to the Long Haul: Success doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re serious about achieving your goals, you need to commit for the long term. Set realistic expectations for how long it will take and be willing to put in the work, day after day.
2. Reframe Challenges as Opportunities: When things get tough, it’s easy to see them as obstacles. But successful people see challenges as opportunities to grow. They know that every setback is a chance to learn something new and improve.
3. Find Your Why: When you feel like quitting, go back to the reason you started in the first place. What’s your big "why"? Why are you doing this? Connecting with your deeper purpose will give you the fuel to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
4. Take Breaks, Not Exits: Feeling overwhelmed is normal. But instead of quitting, take a break. Step back, regroup, and come back stronger. Quitting means leaving the game entirely; taking a break means you’re still in the fight.
5. Trust the Process: Success is a journey, not a destination. Trust that every step you take, no matter how small, is moving you closer to your goal. Even when progress feels slow, trust that the work you’re putting in now will pay off in the future.

Don’t Quit—Keep Pushing

The path to success isn’t easy.

It’s filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments where you feel like giving up.

But here’s the truth: only by going too far can you see how far you can go.

The world we live in today has made quitting easier than ever.

We have more options, more opportunities, and more distractions than any generation before us.

But that abundance has a dark side—it’s made us soft.

If you want to stand out, if you want to build something truly great, you have to be willing to push through the hard times.

You have to be willing to go further than most people are willing to go.

Remember, successful people aren’t the ones who never fail.

They’re the ones who refuse to quit.

So, the next time you’re faced with a tough decision, the next time you feel like walking away, ask yourself: Am I quitting because it’s the right move, or am I quitting because it’s hard?

If it’s the latter, dig in. Push through. Keep going.

Because only by going too far can you see how far you can go.

The Not-So-Secret to Success

Success is a long game.

It requires resilience, grit, and the willingness to endure hard times.

The world around you may encourage quitting, offering endless options to try something new, but don’t fall into that trap.

Stay committed.

Work harder.

Push yourself further than you ever thought possible.

Because on the other side of those hard times lies success, growth, and the satisfaction of knowing you didn’t quit when most people would have.