The Power of Not Giving Up (Even When It’s Hard)
- Jackie da Costa
- Jun 8
- 3 min read
I’ve been reading a lot lately (not new for me) and also watching some documentaries on a few singers whose music I enjoy. Across the books and films I kept noticing similar themes: grit, perseverance, fixed versus growth mindset and how failure can actually propel us forward.
After reflecting on these topics, one of my greatest takeaways is how underappreciated grit and perseverance are in our society.
Especially with social media, it’s easy to look at someone’s story and miss all the hard work that went into that person’s journey. We often see social media reels that show the beginning and end results but not all the hard work that went into the transformation.
When you look at singers like Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and Lainey Wilson, it can at times feel that their success came easy or they just got lucky. But when you really dig into their journeys, you see something very different. Each of them faced rejection, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty. What sets them apart was their willingness to keep going.
That’s where grit and perseverance show up.
We are obsessed with “overnight success” stories because it gives us hope. They make us believe change and success are possible for us. While these stories inspire us to dream, if we only focus on the end result, we miss the viewpoint into the messy middle and if we don’t see that, it can tempt us to give in when we face hurdles or hard times.
I just finished a book on fixed versus growth mindset and again one of the best takeaways for me was reading the stories of all the people who we now know as successful; each person faced some type of failure or setback. The thing that led to their ultimate success is they didn’t let those hurdles or setbacks deter them. Underneath it all was a passion for what they are doing so much that they were willing to put in the thousands of hours into perfecting their craft.
You might be wondering, “ok, why does this matter to me?”
It’s tempting to see others succeeding and think it’s not possible or within your reach to obtain what that person did. When you find yourself in those moments, your fixed mindset has shown up. It’s creating fear and limiting beliefs and those are the things that are holding you back. Our brains are naturally wired to resist change, which only adds to the challenge.
The question becomes: do you let that hold you back, or do you keep working toward what matters to you?
You may have tried and aren’t sure how. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are a few things that may help:
Look deeper into success stories
What you will see when you dig in is an individual who worked really hard and never gave up on their dream.
Name your fixed mindset and recognize how that impacts you
How is it making you feel and what is the impact on yourself and others?
Create a plan for yourself
What are the steps you need to take to achieve your goals or the success you are pursuing? If you are struggling with this, ask a friend or a coach like me for support in helping you create the plan and accountability around it.
Embrace a growth mindset
If you face a failure or setback, do your best not to let it deter you. How can you think about this “failure” as it is happening to you? What is there to teach you? If you’ve faced an obstacle that seems insurmountable, what is a different approach you can take?
I am not saying making this change will be easy, but I know it will be worthwhile for you in the end.
If you are still struggling to find a way forward and bringing yourself back to positivity, consider if support from a therapist, loved one or coach might be helpful to help you move towards the growth mindset.
I believe in your dreams and what you hope to achieve. It’s your hard work and dedication that will get you there. Don’t give up on yourself.
I would love to hear from you. What resonated with you or shifted after reading this?
P.S. In case you want to know the things that inspired this post check out these below:
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