How to Stop Being a Quitter
Out of the few hundred people that will read this, only about 9 or 10 of you will read it all the way through. You’re quickly moving onto the next catchy headline that you will scan through without actually reading. You won’t actually learn anything.
What does that say about you?
YOU’RE NOT COMMITTED!!
Don’t beat yourself up about it, most millennials lack commitment.
According to a worldwide survey performed by Price Waterhouse Coopers, millennials can’t even commit to keeping a job. This is painfully tragic considering the amount of money we owe in student debt.
There are too many distractions. There’s too much to think about which ironically keeps us from thinking at all. It’s cyclical. A generation consumed by the same thing that makes it great – information.
You want to do something, you just don’t know what it is. I have been there.
It won’t happen overnight, but these 3 tips will help you stop being a quitter.
1- Write a To-Do List Every Night
Tell yourself…
“Self. Every night I WILL COMMIT to writing a list of priorities for the next day.”
Say it out loud. Make a deal with the universe. Don’t pussy out. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you do this, your life will improve.
Self-evaluation is a critical element of success. Every night you should take 10 minutes to do this. I understand that it is ten minutes you could be watching cat videos but in reality, your list will improve your time management which will give you even more time for cat videos. It’s a win – win.
Fun Fact: Sail Kitty has 17,562,050 views. I am responsible for at least 50 of them.
Ben Franklin contributed his success to taking a few minutes every night and writing a list of what he did well for the day, what he could have improved on and what he wanted to achieve tomorrow. In fact, he listed his daily schedule in his autobiography.
Every night, write your list for the next day and get that shit done.
ben franklin schedule
2 – Finish Strong
Millennials are fast starters, but poor finishers.
In what other areas of your life are you falling short? I’m not talking about your relationship issues.
When I say finish strong, I mean with everything.
If you pick up a book, read the whole thing.
If you go for a run, keep running until you have crossed the finish line.
If you are sending an email, proofread it before you hit send.
If you start something, then fucking finish it.
With so much stimulus pulling our attention in so many different directions, it is difficult to stay focused. Difficult, but not impossible.
My business partner helped me with this.
My problem was not the lack of commitment, it was the lack of attention required in finishing a project. I had the drive, I lacked the focus. I see now having one without the other is like working with a dull knife.
After a long conversation, my business partner told me the truth about my shortcomings in my work. I took an honest evaluation of myself and I decided that I was going to finish everything I started. I MADE A COMMITMENT to focus on one project at a time and to see that project all the way through.
It has changed my life.
This requires discipline. I have always considered discipline to be the most coveted of all personality traits. We all want discipline. We all aspire to be a man or woman who has control over one’s self, but so few of us are able to attain it.
Fun Fact: Studies have shown that self-control strongly correlates with self-satisfaction.
If you have an extra $6 I recommend reading this study, it was really interesting.
3 – Keep Your Word
The ultimate sign of good character is in keeping your word.
It was a carpenter who taught me about how important keeping your word is, but it took some time for me to really understand why this is.
If you want to earn the respect of others, you must first respect yourself. What could be more worthy of respect than a man or woman who respects themselves and respects their own values?
Millennials want to be liked by everyone. We people please and say yes. “Yes, I’ll be at your party” or “Yes, I’ll meet you for coffee.” You say it, and you don’t mean it.
You just lied.
Every time you say yes to something, you are in return saying no to something else. It is okay to say no to people. It is better to say no than to say yes and fall through on your commitment.
Respect yourself. Respect your word. Respect what it means to commit to something and I promise you will see your life change.
It Doesn’t Happen Over Night
This is what you want.
You want to travel
You want to be in shape
You want to be your own boss
You want to provide for yourself and your family
I can help you. I can help you bring your business idea to life. But… I don’t work with people who lack commitment. People who lack commitment always quit when things get hard.
Really, these suggestions are just that. Millennials of all people know that no one can FORCE you to do anything. You have to learn to do it for yourself.
What will you do?