How to Stay Resilient, When you Feel Like Giving Up

We’ve all been there.

The deadline looms.

The results aren’t showing up.

The rejection email hits your inbox.

You’re working hard, doing what you believe is right—and yet it feels like you’re getting nowhere. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder: What’s the point? It’s tempting to give up, walk away, or coast.

But those moments are precisely where resilience matters most. In fact, they are the crucible in which true resilience is forged.

When I wrote The Resilience Roadmap, I wasn’t interested in giving people vague motivation or pep talks. I wanted to create a practical, battle-tested guide to help you show up strong when life punches hardest. Because that’s when it counts.

Today, I want to share a powerful framework from the book—along with three actionable strategies you can apply immediately the next time you hit a wall.

Why We Struggle When It Gets Hard

Let’s start here: most of us aren’t weak—we’re untrained. We live in a world that prioritizes speed and comfort. We reward instant results and constant progress. But that’s not how growth works. Resilience is not a talent you’re born with. It’s a skill. It’s developed through resistance, repetition, and reflection.

The people who rise in adversity aren’t necessarily stronger. They’re just better prepared. They’ve trained for it. And here’s the good news: so can you.

The Resilience Gap

There’s a moment I call the Resilience Gap—the space between when things get hard and when most people quit.

You know it when you feel it:

• The project loses momentum.

• The relationship hits turbulence.

• The scale doesn’t budge.

• The goal still feels miles away.

This is the make-or-break moment. And if you want to live a meaningful life, you can’t just survive this moment—you have to own it.

How? That’s where the roadmap comes in.

The 3-Part Framework for Resilience Under Pressure

Here are three simple but powerful practices I teach in The Resilience Roadmap. Use these to navigate the Resilience Gap and keep moving when most people quit.

1. Zoom Out: Redefine the Timeline

When we’re stressed, we narrow our focus. We obsess over now:

• “This launch flopped.”

• “This client said no.”

• “This workout was a waste.”

But short-term failures are not long-term verdicts. Resilient people play the long game. They know that the difference between failure and success often comes down to duration, not talent.

Try this:

When you feel like quitting, do a mental zoom-out:

• Ask yourself: Will this still matter in 5 years?

• Or better: What would Future Me want me to do right now?

This small shift in perspective re-engages your why and reconnects you to your deeper goals. You stop making emotional decisions and start making intentional ones.

When you feel overwhelmed, zoom out. Don’t let a temporary emotion drive a permanent decision.

2. Break It Down: Win the Next Step

Sometimes the big picture doesn’t help. Sometimes it’s too big. You’re not just tired—you’re exhausted. You’re not just doubting—you’re disillusioned.

In those moments, shrink the challenge.

One of the most powerful resilience strategies I learned came from running a marathon with a transplanted heart and lungs. I couldn’t focus on finishing 42 kilometers. I had to focus on the next kilometre. Sometimes the next lamppost.

This is more than a metaphor. It’s a practice.

Try this:

When you feel like giving up, ask:

• What’s the next action I can take?

• What’s the smallest win I can create right now?

Progress is powerful—even microscopic progress. Momentum isn’t built in giant leaps. It’s built in consistent steps.

When the road feels too long, don’t focus on the finish line—just take the next step. Then the next.

3. Choose Your Hard

Here’s the truth no one likes to admit: Everything is hard.

• It’s hard to work out every morning.

• It’s hard to live with low energy and poor health.

• It’s hard to build a business.

• It’s hard to stay stuck in a job you hate.

• It’s hard to push through adversity.

• It’s hard to live with regret.

Life isn’t about avoiding hard. It’s about choosing the hard that’s worth it.

That’s where resilience really shows up—not in muscling through everything, but in choosing the right battles, the right goals, the right hard things.

Try this:

When you’re tempted to quit, ask:

• What hard am I choosing by giving up?

• Am I trading short-term relief for long-term regret?

Reminding yourself that discomfort is part of the price of progress can reset your mindset in an instant. The pain doesn’t go away—but it gets a purpose.

Don’t wish it was easier. Choose the hard that builds the life you want.

If you’re reading this and you’re in that tough stretch—where everything feels heavier than it should—I want you to know this:

You’re not broken.

You’re not weak.

You’re not a failure.

You’re just in the Resilience Gap.

And that’s where champions are made.

Resilience isn’t about being perfect or unshakeable. It’s about being committed—to your purpose, your values, and your growth—even when it’s hard.

Let’s Build Resilience in Your Organization

If you’re leading a team, company, or event and you know your people are feeling the pressure, I’d love to help.

I speak at conferences, companies, and schools across North America about how to build resilience that actually works—especially in challenging times.

If you want your team to come away with practical tools they can use immediately, let’s talk.

📩 Reach out to start a conversation about working together at your next event.

#resilience #leadership #personaldevelopment #motivation #keynotespeaker #mentalstrength #overcomingadversity #resilientteams