Don't quit during training

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

~Muhammad Ali

Many people make decisions when things aren’t going well. They look for relief in the despair of the valley instead of waiting for the clarity that comes from being on the mountaintop.

Why? Because it takes a lot of effort to get to the mountaintop. And when you’re experiencing the darkness of the valley, it’s always tempting to make changes that you hope will relieve the discomfort.

My advice may be counterintuitive, but quitting during a struggle (or during training like Ali’s quote above) is rarely a good idea. The best time to make decisions is when you’re succeeding. If you fight your way through the valley, you’ll make better decisions at the top of the mountain. Here’s why:

• You can see your situation more clearly.
• You are moving to something, not just from something.
• You leave those around you in a better position.
• You decide using positive data, not negative.
• You are more likely to move from peak to peak instead of valley to valley.

So what should you do in the valley? Persevere. If you keep fighting, you’re likely to get your second wind, just as distance runners do. And it’s said that only when runners are exhausted enough to reach that place do they find out what they can truly accomplish.

If you keep persevering while you are in the valley, not only will you likely make it to the higher ground where you can make better decisions, but you will also have developed character, which will serve you well throughout life.

Use the clarity of mountaintop moments to make major decisions.

~from The Maxwell Daily Reader