NEVER GIVE UP

There are insurmountable odds in front of you. 

Or are there?

Whatever the result, you need to be able to look yourself in the mirror and know you tried your best. Like anyone, I beat myself up at times, and wonder what could have been, but I know with absolute certainty that I gave my all. I carried on through some almost impossible scenarios, and that is/was extremely important to me.

I think having been a racing cyclist helps. You always find new resources, more energy, more fight to break through and keep going, maybe even create an incredible opportunity out of nothing.

If you stood still and let life happen to you, it would still be hard. So why not push back and try, create opportunities rather than have life 'happen' AT you?

Everyone finds life hard. Modern life offers you so many temptations to give in. It's ok. You tried. There there.

That's not good enough for an entrepreneur. Trying is easy. Trying your absolute best (see Caveat 1. below) is different. This level of commitment yields the greatest results, the highest high, the most satisfaction.

A smaller personal example is the time our production consultant called me just after my son was born in difficult circumstances. I'd been awake for nearly 3 days. He said I now had to complete my outerwear order before morning, or I'd miss the season. I don't know how I managed it, staring at a laptop at 3am, literally shouting at myself, in tears, to finish the spreadsheet. But I did, because I had to. When it's your business, that's often how it works.

Tough. Do. Or fail.

You need to find need new mental resources and techniques to push through barriers that can be broken.

Entrepreneurs don't give up. Resilience is a cornerstone of their being.

Caveat 1. Pushing and pushing longterm is immensely stressful and deeply damaging to your health, relationships and even your business.

You are a machine and you have to run smoothly. Go hard on the things that really count. Save your resources. It should be fun after all.

Caveat 2. Statistically speaking, there is likely to be a time you will HAVE to give up.

But giving up happened to me. We went bust. It hurts like hell, to be the person who would always keep going, yet now, I'm giving up. I had to. We were a great brand, great product, but we ran out of cash. But I was still making calls as I was being called in to sign the administration documents. I had to get it all out. I couldn't have faced myself otherwise.

The faster you grow, the more likely the crash. I gave it everything, I was physically and mentally annihilated. It took me months to recover from the burnout. But, I know I couldn't have made another call, or stayed awake another minute. That is a constant comfort. 

Do push through the hardship for gains.

That said, listen to those around you and stop, before life bites back. Judge your effort. Stay sharp.

Don't harm yourself or those you love. Find balance. Enjoy the effort.

NOW GO YOU.