Keep Going — Failure is Not an Option

As a black child growing up in the Southern United States, it was always a little uncomfortable. It never felt like home. School was no different; I was one of 8 black children in a school of over 600 majority white kids.

Learning about slavery and sharecropping in school was beyond awkward. I hated it. Over time, I learned so much more about Black history by attending an HBCU (Historically Black College and University). That experience helped me see the rich lessons.

The results are often slow and small when you start anything or try to reach any goal.

It’s easy to give up in the beginning. If you stay in the fight, you will also have an opportunity to give up later.

Most quit on their goals, not because they don’t want the end result but because it’s hard to sustain new activity for an extended period to achieve the desired result.

Playbook Principle #21 is to Keep Going. The first corollary is that life is a continuum; you finish and start again. The finish lines are like marathon finish lines; as soon as you cross the finish line in a marathon, the tape disappears, the setup is gone, and you start preparing for the next race.

Corollary #2 is the expectation of suffering. Many people give up because they think it will be easier than it ends up being…