If you fall behind, run faster. Anybody can quit, only real champions keep going. Never give up, never surrender.
Generations have sung these popular adages, used them as smartphone wallpapers, and adorned locker rooms and classrooms alike. For the majority of your life, you will be told that true winners never quit. That grit alone will get you through, and if you can think of an idea in your mind, you can certainly actualize it. I hold to my unwavering belief that entrepreneurs are dreamers—people who believe in themselves, their ideas, their skillsets, and their resilience. But there's a practical side to entrepreneurship, one that's less glamorous and even less interesting.
When you're deep in the trenches and overwhelmed with challenges, telling yourself to "never surrender" can help you keep going. However, you have to pause and consider if this is leading you anywhere or if you're stuck in a continuous cycle of effort with no return. It's great that you can continue "going," but where exactly are you headed?
This tweet from Adam Grant highlights a perspective we should all consider:
Action for the sake of action can be ineffective, and it's critical that entrepreneurs make time to reflect and strategize. Even the most carefully organized plans can unravel, after all, there's very little that we have control over. Utilizing both the grit and wisdom that Adam Grant tweets about can get you far. There are going to be failures, there are going to be successes, and sometimes the success will be realizing that your efforts can be redirected to more fruitful endeavors.
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