16 amazing bits of advice for entrepreneurs who are thinking about quitting
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”
Words: Josh Lee
So, you quit your day job and pursued entrepreneurship. You were full of ideas, dreams and fire; you wanted to revolutionise the world and build a better society. But now, having come short several times, you’re thinking about returning to a normal nine to five. And it’s understandable – selling your services and being rebuffed occasion after occasion can be demoralising and unsustainable.
However, before you call it a day, take a look at these 20 pieces of motivational advice that will make you think twice about your decision; you may be a better man for it.
“If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” – Elon Musk, Tesla Motors & SpaceX Founder
In other words: do what matters to you, regardless of the obstacles.
“People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
In other words: if you believe you can revolutionise society for the better, then you can. Who else will?
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States
In other words: 50% of success is based on an idea; the other 50% is down to whether you can execute it with conviction.
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb
In other words: you get closer to your next great idea every single day. If Edison had given up as an inventor the day before creating the lightbulb, where would we be right now?
“You’re never a loser until you quit trying.” – Mike Ditka, former American football player
In other words: failing doesn’t necessarily make you a failure, it makes you better at your job. Only when you decide to call it a day do you fail.
“It always seems impossible until its done.” – Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa
In other words: many things in life seem hard to reach, but that doesn’t make them unattainable; take it from a man who lived through apartheid in South Africa and went on to become the country’s president.
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Richard Bach, American writer
In other words: every professional – whether it be a golfer, chef or musician – was an amateur at one point. Don’t categorise yourself based on financial status or awards; at the very core, you are an entrepreneur. The accolades and acknowledgement will soon come.
“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, former heavyweight boxing champion
In other words: success isn’t just handed to you. It comes as a result of graft and sacrifice – the long-term benefits will be worth it.
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the aeroplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
In other words: during your career’s take-off, everything will seem to go against you. Don’t worry, though, once you do the hard work, you’ll be soaring.
“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” – Farrah Gray, American businessman and author
In other words: do you want to pursue your passion, or do you want to be part of someone else’s?
“Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.’ – Douglas MacArthur, former American five-star general
In other words: habitually giving up will only cause deep, internal damage to your spirit. Don’t lose your vivacity and energy.
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein, physicist and developer of the theory of relativity
In other words: intelligence isn’t the only factor for success; tenacity plays an equally important role.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller, American businessman
In other words: Don’t settle for average. Be ambitious, have a distaste for comfort and always see where you can improve.
“You build on failure… You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter
In other words: Don’t dwell on shortcomings. Move forward and onwards and channel your energy into something more productive.
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, American author
In other words: one failure doesn’t denote total failure.
“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
In other words: pursue everything you believe to be important. You’ll spend the rest of your life thinking about it if you don’t.
Need more inspiration? Here are 5 things that every entrepreneur should learn from Steve Jobs
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