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Yes, you read the title right. Quitting is not normal. In fact, it should never be an option. You’ve made it this far. You’ve registered your business name, you’ve put down a deposit on your location, you have an interior designer coming in to set up the layout, all of your materials are being shipped, the website is being designed, and the grand opening event has been scheduled. Then all of a sudden, a tornado hit and tore down all of the hard work you’ve put into your business. Feeling discouraged? I bet. Feeling like God is trying to tell you something? Of course. But I’m sure he is not telling you to quit. He’s telling you to brush off your shoulders and get back to work.

In this life we call business, you will face a lot of opposition. Let’s be honest here. Whether it be from a friend, a co-worker, or even a family member, there will always be some kind of opposition towards your goals and endeavors. Some of the criticism may be constructive, some may not. It is up to you to take that information and use it to your advantage.

Quitting should never be an option. If a business isn’t as successful as you thought it would be, that is still not a reason to quit. In actuality, that is a reason for you to go back to the drawing board and identify what caused the business to not succeed, learn from it, grow, and start back up again. Running a business is not a walk in the park. In fact, PKC Marketing was my second business, and I’m sure it will not be my last. My first business didn’t do so well. As a result, I closed it down, but I didn’t quit. I learned from my mistakes, and here I am, putting what I learned to great use.

Before you decide to throw in the towel, take a moment and do the following:

Breathe

Find a place in your area that brings you peace, go there and sit in silence, and listen. Whenever I have an issue that I’m dealing with or a problem that I’m struggling to solve, I’ll take a walk along the waterfront, alone. No cell phone, no friends. I simply walk and stare at the water, watch people pass by, and listen to sounds of the river and the wind blowing. By doing this, your mind will be clear enough to welcome a resolution.

Share

It is always good to talk things out with a close friend or a mentor; someone who supports your professional endeavors. Sometimes when we share our thoughts, that person will have a different perspective on the situation, thus providing you with insight that may lead you to discovering a way to resolve the problem. I have 2 people in my life that I can always depend on for sound input; a friend of mine from graduate school, and a close personal friend that I met through my work with my first business. Both are extremely supportive, encouraging, motivating, and insightful.

Dance and/or exercise

Music always gets my creative juices flowing. After spending some time alone, and sharing your thoughts with friends, you’ll notice that the inspiration bug has kicked in and you’re ready to take over the world. There’s is nothing like having a music playlist on standby to kick things into overdrive. Before you know it, you would have drafted your strategy and have taken any other course of actions necessary to keep things going.

I’m sure there are many more ways that one can de-stress and increase mental clarity. The goal is to never give up.

What do you when you’re feeling discouraged? How do you stay focused?