How to keep going when you want to quit?
If you’re reading this, you may have asked yourself this question, but haven’t found an answer that’s "good enough".
Maybe you've felt like you've been trapped in a dark tunnel for so long that you don't even know there's an exit, a light, or salvation.
Maybe you feel like you're holding on to a rope to keep from falling off a cliff. You can't pull yourself up because you’re so tired, and you can't let go, because if you let go, you're afraid of losing everything you have. And that's the scariest thing ever.
Or maybe, just maybe, you've tried and failed countless times. And now, your dreams, desires, goals, and prayers are starting to feel impossible.
Let me hold your hand while I say this: Whatever you’re experiencing right now, whatever you’re feeling right now, you can still choose to keep going.
You can choose to keep doing what you can, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
And, I’m glad you’re here, because in this post, I'll guide you through perseverance, surrender, and faith so you can finally surrender control to God.
You'll learn to persevere in your highest dreams, find inspiration, and let go of control to the miraculous.
So, shall we start?
How to Keep Going (Perseverance, Faith, Action)
1. The Mindset Shift: Believe the Impossible
I'm Muslim. I don't know what religion you follow, but I know this: We believe in the same God.
And we don’t believe with our eyes, ears, hands, or even minds. We believe in God with our hearts and souls.
We believe in him even when we don’t see him, even when we don’t witness his miracles, even when he doesn’t talk or respond to us in a way we expect or understand.
But, we believe anyway. And this is our superpower. So, why don’t we use our superpower?
Why don’t we start believing again that God is powerful and stronger than our backgrounds, circumstances, environments, shortcomings, and insecurities?
Yes, he is powerful than our country, parents, job, boss, and bank account too.
So why did we start to think that no one and nothing could fix our situation, make our dreams come true, and that there was no way out or chance?
Do you see the contradiction? We say we believe, but do we really?
Do we really believe that if God wills, the fire will not burn us, that if God wills, there will be salvation and a way out, even if we are in the belly of the whale, that we can escape from the bottom of the well and become who we are meant to be?
And if our answer is yes, then we can believe that our "impossibles" are not actually impossible, right?
2. Daily Incremental Progress: One Step at a Time
But believing in the impossible doesn't mean we stay in bed, do nothing, don't try, and wait for our dreams to appear suddenly on our doorstep.
Unfortunately, that doesn't work like that. So, how does it work, really?
Well, did you hear the story called “Pushing the Rock”?
This story tells of a man who was shown a large rock by God and told to push it with all his might. And he did. Day and night, he uses all his strength to push the rock. But, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't even bulge that rock a half a millimeter. And he asks god, “What is wrong? Why am I failing?”.
And God answered: “I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done.
I never mentioned to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?
Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back is brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard.
You have grown much, and your abilities now surpass those you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock.
BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM, this you have done.
Now, I will move the rock.”
We are all that man, and we all have a rock we are trying to push. Some of us are trying to build that business, write that book, travel the world, start their photography business…
Whatever it might be, we are only expected to push the rock, not to move it. We’re expected to take the small actions every single day.
One step at a time. Being consistent and disciplined enough to get that “compound effect”.
So just do your part and push the rock, and when you are strong enough, when you reach the version of yourself that can handle your blessings, I promise you that God will move your rock.
Remember, it's not about intensity; it's always about consistency, and it grows through small, repeated actions.
If you really want to make your progress visible, you can try habit tracking, which is one of the most effective ways to stay on track and see how far you’ve come.
I've published an article with inspiring habit ideas on how to start, stick with, and reap all the benefits of habit tracking.
You can read more here → Habit Tracking: What Works, What Doesn’t & Habit Ideas to Enter 2026 With a Bang.
3. Handling Setbacks & Resistance
But the truth is: No one said this would be easy and quick.
You will sweat, you will get tired, you will fail, you will be rejected, and doors will slam shut right in front of you.
Sometimes it will just be dark, dead-end streets, and you will feel discouraged because of the delays.
And what you do at that very moment will determine your path. Are you gonna refine or resign?
Since you read until here, I assume you want to refine with all your heart. Congrats, you chose the hard but right path.
There are some strategies for accepting the crossroads and dealing with setbacks and resistance.
Journaling, for instance, is the best way to pivot while staying anchored in your vision.
I’m not talking about listing 3 gratitude daily, no, I’m talking about writing every thought that makes you anxious, every worry, every fear, every insecurity, every I wish but…, every what if, and every even if.
So you can remove them from your mind and look them in the eye. You can finally challenge any obstacles that keep you from the life you dream of.
When you write down a setback, immediately write down the possible solution, counter-argument, or positive side so you can see that it's not the end and encourage yourself to keep going.
And, if you don’t even know where to start and what to write, use journaling questions, prompts that make you think and find out what's actually going on in your mind.
The other strategy is powerful affirmations to repeat every day, like:
“I keep going with faith. I do my best, I let go of the rest, and I trust that God is turning every delay into divine redirection.”
On the first day, when you say affirmations out loud, you may feel like you're fooling yourself. You may think, “Ah, who am I kidding?”.
But if you can believe your bad, discouraging thoughts and let them affect you negatively, shouldn't you give good thoughts, wishes, and affirmations the same chance?
I know you can. So gathered all the best affirmations for inner strength & resilience, keep going & take aligned actions, letting go & trusting the process, faith in the impossible, and self-worth & hope.
✨You can download my free “30+ Faith-Filled Affirmations” printable—Think of it as your little daily dose of hope.
4. Community, Encouragement & Accountability
You know, beyond all the strategies, there's something that keeps us going, keeps us pushing the rock, keeps us believing in ourselves and in the possibilities, and that's our community, our loved ones, our family and friends.
Even if they don't fully understand your mission and why, their support and understanding, or even a little tap on the shoulder, can help you lift your head and keep walking.
So, if you take one thing from this article, take this: Keep your people close.
Don’t leave them in the dark; talk to them, tell them your problems, get advice, listen to them.
Because in the end, it’s all about community, connection, and love.
And if you don’t feel belong or you don’t have the right people in your life, then find them, search for them, be yourself so they can find you.
As Charles Lamb says in his poem The Old Familiar Faces,
“Earth seemed a desert I was bound to traverse,
Seeking to find the old familiar faces.”
Until you find your old familiar faces—and maybe the very reason you’re here right now—think of me as a friend who taps you on the shoulder.
Picture us sitting in a cozy coffee shop. You’re just about to give up on your dream, and I’m telling you everything you need to hear to keep going.
So, let this article be your reason not to give up today.
Let's find another day.
Another day to quit. Not today, not tomorrow.
Let’s find another day…
Conclusion
So, I’d love to hear from you — your story, your struggles, your dreams, your “why,” and even your “buts.”
Think of this little corner of the internet as our shared space — part support group, part friend group, part motivation hub — where we remind each other to keep believing, keep trying, and keep our hearts open.
If this post touched you, share it with someone who might need a little hope today. 💛
Tag a friend, send it to your group chat, or post it on your story — you never know who might need to hear “keep going.”
Let’s grow this community together — one kind word, one brave step, one shared story at a time.
So… what do you say? Will you join me? 🌿
I hope so, with love, Ş.
