This document discusses why people often give up on their goals and projects. It suggests that when people set goals, they are often just wishes that seem like a lot of work once started. It also notes that people don't consider the opportunity cost of their goals and how spending time on one may take away from others. To avoid giving up, the document recommends choosing one major goal per area of life and measuring progress to see real results and keep goals believable and achievable through daily actions. Health goals are highlighted as particularly important and easy to measure regularly.

1. How To Quit Giving Up

2. If you're like me, you've started and
stopped a lot of projects in your life.

3. When I was a kid I had a friend who
built all kinds of models. Planes, cars,
buildings.

4. I convinced my mom to buy me one,
and I gave up after a couple of days.

5. I have a friend who's always starting
new hobbies. Ham radio, remote
controlled helicopters, learning the
bass. Yet he always loses his
excitement (much to his wife's
frustration) as soon as his new toy
comes in the mail.

6. He's got a huge antenna up on his roof.
I don't think he's used it more than a
few times.

7. When people set goals, often times
they aren't really goals. They are
wishes. Then we get started, and
realize how much work is involved.
Sure, we'd love to get them if
somebody would just give them to us.

8. But when we realize how much work is
involved, it kinds of puts things into
perspective.

9. Then there's that "opportunity cost"
that most people don't like to consider.

10. After all, we only have so much time
and money. If we are going to spend
an hour or two a day becoming a
world class martial artist, you can't
really spend another hour or two a day
learning to be a world class pianist.

11. That's why it's really a good idea to
choose ONE major goal for each area
of your life. Financial, career, hobby,
relationship, etc.

12. And along the way, you'll branch off,
learn new things, redefine your
ultimate goal. This is what makes life
worth living. The pursuit of things that
are important to YOU.

13. Even then it's difficult. Any goal
requires being able to measure your
progress. Otherwise you don't know if
you're REALLY moving forward, or just
kidding yourself.

14. That's why a very IMPORTANT area of
life is your health.

15. Not only is it the most crucial part, but
it's the EASIEST to measure.

16. Even if you get out and walk every day,
you can measure the time. The
distance. The frequency.

17. And once you PROVE to yourself that
you can get real results (instead of
imaginary results), it makes all those
other goals much more believable.

18. They slowly transform from wishes, to
goals, to daily actions, to consistent
achievements.

19. It all starts with making the decision to
move your body. Somehow. Someway.
On a regular basis.

20. mindpersuasion.com