“Don’t tell me how rocky the sea is, just bring the ship in.”
― Lou Holtz

No matter how well you prepared, no matter how hard you trained, sometimes the situation goes sideways. Don’t get me wrong. It’s your training and your preparation that can get you through those moments. You need those arrows in your quiver, but you also need to dig deep and find a way through the storm.

If we’re talking about big-picture success, there are times when you need to execute a strategic retreat. That’s usually when your preparation and training are clearly inadequate. In those cases, check your ego, cut your losses, step away, and get ready to come back better, stronger, and smarter.

On the other hand, there are times when the difference between winning and losing is your willingness to overcome obstacles. It’s your ability to find another level and rise to the occasion. Things didn’t go as expected? Oh, well. You fell down? Get back up. You’re scared? You’re overwhelmed? You’re uncomfortable? Push through anyway.

Sure, you can learn a lot from failure. But the one thing you don’t want to learn is that you’re not tough enough. You don’t want to find out that you lack the willpower to succeed when the situation gets difficult.

So don’t quit. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Let the pressure make you stronger and embrace the opportunity for greatness.