The Covid situation is bleak again. Ah, I give up trying to plan anything now.

The evenings are dark. Ah, I give up on trying to exercise until the Spring.

There’s a pile of books I still haven’t read. Ah, I give up on even looking at new ones.

Social media is getting even more divisive. Ah, I give up trying to engage with it.

I’ve never been heavier. Ah, I give up on trying to lose weight until after Christmas.

The working from home era is such a drag. Ah, I give up looking for a better job until things improve.

*****

We all get fed up. It’s understandable when circumstances are unfavourable, or when we’ve just had enough of something. But being fed up doesn’t have to automatically lead to giving up.

That said, there are times when giving up is exactly what we need to do.

Every individual, when reading the list above, will find themselves resonating with some more than others. We’re all at different stages in our relationships with activities and commitments. What might be useful for some to give up on now may well be entirely counterproductive for others.

A good friend or confidant is sometimes better able to see when it’s in our interest to give up or persist. Maybe we’re stuck in a rut of low mood or riding high on a wave of delusion.

So, maybe now is a good time for you to give up. Or maybe it’s exactly the time to persist. Just ensure you’re clear on the difference, and why it’s in your interest to consider those choices carefully.

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This post was adapted from one of Aodan’s Sunday morning newsletters, eagerly anticipated by hundreds of readers. Give yourself the gift of that weekly wisdom by signing up here.