One could find many reasons to quit. For example, you have gone to the gym every morning for the past three years. However, on this cold February morning when you’re tucked away in your warm bed you could find ten reasons not to go to the gym. Or its late at night and you’re in the library writing that paper that is due tomorrow, it’s very easy to close your books and head home. Or when you’re confronted with overwhelming bills, it is very easy to draw down an advance on your credit card. And such is life. For most people it is easier to quit that to suck it up, and adopt a philosophy of Never Quit, Never, Ever.
NEVER QUIT, NEVER, EVER is a philosophy I have lived by for my entire adult life. Simply put, It is a philosophy that defines who I am. It’s a philosophy that I have taught
to many family, friends, colleagues, and athletes all facing insurmountable life challenges, challenges where they thought had no hope, nowhere to turn and wanted to simply quit.
The Never Quit, Never, Ever philosophy begins by defining the problem or obstacle confronting the person who wants to quit. Once determined I give them a motivational speech targeted at their particular situation, which shapes their self-esteem and mindset to work through the challenge. For example, say you’re a high school football player who is at the end of hell-week. You are tired and sore and it’s late in the day towards the end of practice. The coach tells the team to run four laps (one mile). Under the Never Quit, Never, Ever philosophy I teach the young man to adopt a mindset that says be stronger than all the other players because they are just as tired as you. Run the four laps. Run them with vigor. Show the team your strength. Show them that you can find your inner sole, you can dig deeper than them. Show them that you will Never Quit, Never, Ever.
Another situation is when parents come to me overwhelmed with bills they cannot pay and want to declare bankruptcy. Like the football player, I begin teaching them the Never Quit, Never, Ever philosophy by first defining their problem, which is you have spent more than you take home. In this situation, I have to convince them that they can pay their bills and have a healthy financial life in front of them. I begin by reviewing each bill to determine its amount and how long the bill is outstanding. I then prepare a 26-period budget since most people get paid 26 times a year. I start out by listing their take home pay under each of the 26-periods. I then list each of their expenses beginning with rent/mortgage, food, each utility, schooling, insurance, cell phone, etc. and conclude by listing each credit card and their balances. Now that I have put their financial life in front of them, I go through the budget with them and for each item ask them if this item is something they need in their life or can they live without it, or can be reduced, i.e., food, cable TV, etc. I am usually confronted with resistance on reducing the food line because they don’t want to eliminate their eating out once or twice a week or reducing the quality of food. Here I tell them that they must change their lifestyle or go bankrupt. I tell them to eliminate the eating out. I suggest to them several meals that can feed a family of four for less than ten dollars (french toast, spaghetti and meat balls, home-made soup, etc.) I then tell them to shop around their life, auto and homeowners or renters’ insurance policies for a reduction in premiums, which most likely will require them to change carriers.
Once we have determined the reductions to their budget, I tell them to call each overdue credit card and utility company them that they are currently experiencing financial difficulties. I then instruct them to request from the company to provide them with a “work-out” plan, which is a plan that restructures their outstanding balance over several months that both parties can agree to. I then go through the budget asking at each line item, is this something you need in your life or can you live without it. Once concluded, they become excited to the amount of savings realize that if they stick to this budget they can finally make “ends-meet”.
I could go on with many more examples, but you get the point of the Never Quit, Never, Ever philosophy. As a result of many of the people I have helped many, realizing I own a clothing company, have suggested that I should make a t-shirt with the Never Quit, Never, Ever saying on it. So, I did just that.
Written by Bob Jenkins, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stuff For Everyone®, a wholly owned subsidiary of Harper Jenkins Scobie Enterprises.
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