In a recent article on Addicted2Success I pointed out that many entrepreneurs quit when they should pivot. The process of not quitting, of pushing through when your plans are not coming together, isn’t just about sheer grit. Pushing through changes you in ways that may not be obvious, but are crucial to your eventual success.

Pushing through can make you more efficient

Recently I was writing some highly technical information to be resold by one of the largest companies in the world. The problem was that I had a looming deadline that I knew I was NOT going to hit. The project was daunting and it was all my responsibility. I seriously wanted to go back and ask for an extension. But I had made a commitment.

I stepped back for just a few minutes and looked at the big picture. I saw where I could repurpose existing valid content, use cloud systems for testing (rather than building from scratch) and make a more integrated solution than my original plan. The end result? Everything was out the door before the deadline and the company asked me to produce a short article on the solution for their worldwide newsletter. Pushing through let me see ways to improve efficiency and opened up an unexpected opportunity.

Pushing through gives you confidence to do more

One of my passions is running. I haven’t always been a runner. In fact I took up the sport at the tender age of 42. When I first started my plan was to run a 5K (3.1 miles) and it was a little frightening. I spent 9 weeks with an app on my phone, doing a combination of walking and running, until I could run 30 minutes without stopping. It wasn’t easy.

My first 5K was on a day in May with the temperature hovering around 90 degrees. Even so I went all out and beat my goal time. After that I signed up for another 5K, then another, and one with mud, fire and obstacles. Eventually I moved up to a 10K (6.2 miles) and half-marathon (13.1 miles). Now I run multiple times per week, every time at least 5K. But it all started with that first race.

Pushing through the first time under difficult circumstances gave me the confidence to know I could do more. Every time you push through and accomplish a goal you expand your capabilities. Your limits move further away. When you push through you don’t just accomplish a task, you change yourself into someone stronger.

Pushing through creates momentum

When I started my online writing all I had was a tiny blog. Writing for large sites was one of my goals. My first article submission to a publication was rejected. In fact the editor didn’t even respond. A second submission to another site produced the same result. A friend who had articles on many sites encouraged me to keep going. On my third try one of my articles was finally published.

That article was part of the catalyst that got me into the sites where I had been previously rejected. Now I submit (and have published) many articles all over the Internet. I still get rejections, but they are uncommon. When I pushed through the initial rejections to the first acceptance it created the momentum for all of the resultant successes.

Pushing through gets things done

This may be the simplest reason to push through. Pushing through gets things done. There is only ever one reason to quit: the goal is no longer worth the effort. If you want something of value then you will have to push through.

I spent a longer than average time working on my bachelor’s degree. It wasn’t cheap and took more time than I expected because I transferred schools then changed my major several times. But I pushed through. That effort helped many times to get a job, but more importantly allowed me the opportunity to meet the girl of my dreams. We’ve been married nearly a quarter century now. I like the degree, but I love the girl.

Maybe pushing through won’t get you the ideal mate. But not pushing through will leave you living a life of regretful monotony. Your success is directly proportional to how often you ignore the circumstances and your feelings and just push through.

Please share in the comments below how pushing through has changed your life, or an area where you need to push through to live your dreams!