4 Eye-Opening Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Throw In The Towel

Quitting isn't always a bad thing.

And in certain circumstances, it's also not a good thing either.

The line between throwing in the towel or putting more effort into it can be fuzzy. Hazy even. And when we add in the fickleness of our moods and what the day brought or didn't bring, then that place becomes even more challenging to find.

And yet we know deep down that a definite line needs to be crossed, or not.

What should you do when you're ready to quit? But more so, how do we discern when quitting is the right thing to do? Or, worse, stopping too soon and creating lifelong regret.

I'm betting that at this very moment, you might be in the past. Like literally, your attention is drifting back to last week, maybe last year, and in your mind's eye, you're asking yourself, "what if?" Or you might even be in the present, intense moment, wondering why you haven't pulled the plug sooner.

And where ever you are at this very second, it's confusing.

Should I have quit that gig?

Is it time to end this relationship?

Do I grind it out for 3 more weeks when we MIGHT be so close to success?

The whole "throw in the towel" thing applies to literally everything we do, or don't do, in life.

Right about now, most authors would share some story about that "one time." You've heard them. It's about that "one time" that they didn't do that thing, and they regret it to this day.

But you don't need that.

You already have your moment right here, right now, and wanna know what the heck to do about it.

So let me ask you a wicked simple question.

It's a question that you might hear at a $2k per ticket Tony Robbins event, an episode of Dr. Phil, or one that a friend who cares about you will ask first.

What is the REAL obstacle?

Point blank; this is the first question you need to ask yourself.

Where does your limited capacity for effort come from?

Is it time management?

Fear of failure or success?

Perhaps it's that you have too many commitments that you're not managing well?

An obvious follow-up question to ask yourself is, what happens if I quit without being truthful about what's stopping me?

You might be throwing caution to the wind without seeing what those consequences could be. It could negatively affect your health or cause undue stress in other parts of your life. Maybe it involves a relationship with someone close to you, or even a relationship with yourself.

My goal here is not to give you the answers to tell you what I did.

Your journey is not mine. The mission here is to ask yourself the questions that beg to be answered, and if you need to know what is real, then be truthful with your reply.

What's the one thing you NEED to succeed but are not getting?

Some folks will have answers that barely graze the surface.

Some folks will continue to mentally push back and seek external reasons. You're not some folks.

Right?

I ask that because, generally speaking, we don't peel back enough layers.

We'll blame things like a lack of motivation. Or that we don't have the time to do it. Or worse, we'll say it's because nobody believed in us and that they weren't on our side.

These are all cop-outs.

Motivation can be created and fostered. Time just is. We make time for the things that matter most to us. And someone to believe in you?

Cowboy or cowgirl up friend. You better have enough belief in yourself because the road only gets more challenging as you grow.

I'd bet dollars to donuts the problem is deeper than that.

In fact, I'd wager my left pinkie that the problems are not motivation…it's laziness. It's not a lack of time…it's a lack of caring. And it's not having people…it's having no or low self-esteem.

Fix it.

And move on.

Are you WILLING to take a risk and fight for it?

This one is as easy as they come.

The answer is a simple yes, or a no.

Actually, this is a "hell yes" or a "hell no."

There's no such thing as "hell maybe," especially when dreams are involved.

Nothing in this world worth having comes easy. It takes fighting for what we want and believe in. You have to be willing to take a risk because there is a certainty that you won't get what you want without the risk and gloving up. It's scary, yes, but also inspiring and worth it.

So is it a Hell Yes?

Or hell no?

How badly do you WANT it?

Hold your breath for ten seconds. Now twenty. Now forty and keep holding it until I say stop.

Did you feel that?

The urge?

Somewhere around 55 seconds in? That burning need for air? For a breath?

You better want your success THAT bad.

A lot of times, we will battle for something because we feel obligated to. Maybe because of the guilt that's weighing on our shoulders. Perhaps because it's an expectation of us.

That's why we want to throw the towel in.

We wish to quit because it's not like that breath of air.

But when there's a willingness to fight for something deep, meaningful, and we know will crush our souls if we quit, it's then and only then that you'll know the true answer.

How badly do you want it?

If you are saying to yourself that you want it bad, then fucking fight for it!

The final word

I genuinely believe that these questions can be applied to almost all of life's dilemmas.

The questions above helped me get to the core of many issues before making any rash decisions. They should help to provide some clarity and insight into your next steps. But you need to have brutal honesty with yourself for them the be effective.

Regardless of what you decide, it is always a good idea to take the time to reflect on how badly you want something and whether or not you're willing to work for it to get there.

And remember that anything worth fighting for will require commitment from all sides - so make sure this decision feels right before quitting.