#177 I’ve Invested Too Much to Quit

Throughout my career I’ve consistently been asked, "G, how did you know to keep going forward?  Why did you not give up during this part of your career?"  My response?  "I've invested too much time and effort to quit."  How could I stop now?

Up Down, Up Down

In my mind I have a very, very clear vision of where I want to go.  I’m executing that vision each and every day.  Hitting roadblocks and taking detours is inevitable, and the path is never linear.  But it’s up to me to persevere through.  It’s up to me to keep pushing.  That’s how you win in the long term.  The small wins add up.  When you get knocked down, you must decide for yourself whether or not to keep going.

Why Stop Now?

Take conditioning, for example.  You’re lunging day after day, rep after rep.  You reach 400 meters, or one lap around the track.  You’ve already invested 400 meters, so why not go for two laps?

Take the world of supplements.  I had already invested years and years as a personal trainer.  Why not give the world of supplements a chance?  Why not try to start a new company?  It’s easy to throw in the towel, and much more difficult to keep going back to the well.

You see what I'm saying? 

Talking to Your Young Self

If you had to go back and talk to yourself at 18, what would you say?  For me, "I'd sign up for the same thing."  I want to experience it all.  The freedom, the opportunity, the creativity, the experiences, and all the ups and downs.  I wouldn't change a thing. 

What do your expectations look like?  Well, if you’re on the path, you must know that things are going to be difficult.  You must become an expert problem-solver.  You must be able to find solutions.  You’re going to hit milestones along the way, and the finish line keeps moving.  You’ve put in the time, and there’s no reason to stop now.

Three Feet from Gold

It goes back to the Three Feet from Gold story from Napoleon Hill.  You just never know when the next idea, business opportunity, or how close you really are to hitting gold.  

So, what happens if you quit too early?  What’s the alternative?  Regret.  Everything becomes shoulda-woulda-coulda.  I’m not willing to go that route, are you?  I’m not going to do that, nor will I subscribe to that.  What about you?

Is it easy?  Absolutely not.  All I knew was that I was going to keep showing up every day.  I wasn’t going to fucking quit.  And I knew that I didn’t have to do anything special, I just had to keep showing up.  I was relentless, and I continue to be to this day.  That’s where the quote came from, "I don't do anything that fucking special, I just don't miss."

Dig Deep

Keep showing up.  Don’t quit.  Find solutions.  Create opportunities.  Seize opportunities.  Keep pushing.  If you can adopt this mentality, there’s no stopping you.

Then, when you think about quitting, think about the entire picture.  How long did you spend doing that?  How many nights did I spend doing this?  How much research did I put in to create that?  How long did it take to get that flavor right?  How long did it take to get here?

Think about all the time you put in.  How much do you have invested?  Are you going to quit, or are you going to find a solution?