To persevere or to pivot is a question that do-ers have been asking themselves since the beginning of time. It’s never a straight road when you are doing something new, blazing a trail, breaking a ceiling, or pushing boundaries, so it’s only natural to wonder whether to give up midway. How do you know whether to keep going or to give up?

Adam Hashemi

If you have fun doing it, then why give up? If you don’t have fun… then definitely – give up! Any kind of entrepreneurial work, or work as a freelancer needs to come from a place of passion. It is too competitive to survive otherwise, because you’re only as good as your last job. Read More>> 

Hassan Pech

A lot of the times its easier to just give up, and most of the time we do. But when you are truly passionate about something, there is no giving up, because you do it for the love you have for that specific thing and the happiness that it brings you. Read More>> 

Chantal Partolan

I don’t typically use the term “give up”; I try and think of it more as “pivoting.” When things get difficult and I introduce the idea of changing course, I take an assessment of my energy levels and morale first. Usually by then, my body is already showing signs of exhaust mentally and/or physically. Read More>>

Athena Vas

For me, the words I’ve lived by my entire life come straight from my mother: “If you give up, you have nothing.” And she was right. I’ve always believed that if you don’t even try, you end up with nothing either way, so you may as well try, because it might work. Read More>> 

Marina SaMont

For me, the answer is always in the work itself. When a piece still has something to say—when it keeps pulling me back emotionally or intellectually—I know I have to keep going. I give up only when the process feels empty, when the dialogue between the painting and myself is gone. Read More>> 

Marc Tarczali

On a macro-level, you should never stop pursuing your dreams. But in terms of day to day challenges, its important to choose your battles wisely so you aren’t dumping your bandwidth into a futile endeavor. In the film industry, the most important element to this process, in my estimation, is getting a read on your collaborators. Read More>> 

Michelle E. Lowe

As an independent writer, the thought of abandoning the craft crosses my mind more than once each month, especially during those long stretches when not a single book sells. In those moments, I reflect on what it truly takes to build a successful writing career and explore other avenues for getting my work into the world. The challenge is resisting discouragement. Read More>>