Do you have a dream or goal in mind that you’ve worked toward but want to give up?

Are you tired and frustrated and just want to walk away?

I hear you, and I’ve been there.

When I look back at my life as a kid, I understand better now the patterns that I fell into. I searched for fulfillment in the wrong people and kept repeating the same mistakes time and time again.

I’d fall in love with the girl who wasn’t available to me emotionally as she had her own issues to handle. I would get locked in with anxiety due to my fear of abandonment. And the cycle would repeat on and on.

But once we’re on the path toward healing and we are actively working on resolving those issues, it’s time to start charting a way forward.

What are your goals for the rest of your life?

Once you know what those goals are, define them, set timelines to them, and work toward them.

Yet how often do we give up? We search for a new job but give up because we’re not getting any bites on our resume. We start a book but stop writing because we don’t have the time. We start to lose weight but give in because we “deserve some happiness.”

What if we could stop and take ourselves out of our lives and see our full timeline?

What if the good job you want is only three applications away? What if you were to finish the book or paint the picture or sculpt the sculpture and keep on moving forward?

Often in life we give up right before we’re about to achieve success.

Why is that?

We can’t see too far ahead and lose hope.

Perseverance. Grit. Hope.

These three things will sustain you in life.

If you give up on your dreams, then aren’t you limiting yourself?

Why not keep working toward your goal?

Let’s say that you want to be the most famous composer in the world. And you’ve tried, but keep failing. The reality is that you might never achieve your goal. There are billions of other people on the planet and maybe you lack the talent to be the best.

So, should you give up trying?

What does your heart tell you?

As a kid, I wanted to write books and share fantasy stories to people all over the world. I wanted my stories to give hope to people who might have none. I was rejected more times that I remember from agents and publishers.

But I didn’t give up. I became an indie publisher and my books have been downloaded tens of thousands of times from people all over the world. Am I the best fantasy author? No. I am one of many.

The need to compare and be the best is a limiting goal.

Each day I work hard to write to the best of my ability and to keep learning. I read other people’s fiction to see how they write, have taken classes, read “how to” books, participated in writing workshops, been part of several writing groups, and the most important thing: I keep writing.

There have been times when I wanted to give up. I’ve become frustrated and lost hope.

And then I remember the reviews and personal emails that readers have sent me, sharing with me how much they like my work.

That gives me hope.

One of the most important things that I’ve learned in life is to listen to my heart and go for my dreams.

It’s great when readers tell me that they like my work, but I listen to myself.

Do I believe my work is good? How can I become a better writer? What can I do differently to learn and be better?

Each of us is on a journey and we have unique and wonderful talents and abilities.

What is yours and are you using it?

Don’t give up. Learn, grow, try a different way, but keep on going.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.