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If your plans fail, do this...

If your plans fail, change the plans -- not the goal. Far too many people give up when their initial strategy or approach doesn't immediately bear fruit.

Ever heard the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"?

Sometimes it's all a matter of fine-tuning your approach.

For example, if a baseball player is in an awful slump, he won't give up on his goal of getting hits and driving in runs. In such cases, the batter will merely change his approach at the plate. It might take a while before he finds something that works, but at least he's working toward breaking out of the dry spell.

Rather than trying to swing for the fences each and every time, he may decide to go back to basics and focus on making contact. Once he's regained his confidence at the plate, he's bound to hit homers and provide a jolt to the offense.

If you want to achieve something badly enough, you won't just abandon your goal altogether. Students don't just throw in the towel when they get a bad grade on one exam. They figure out what went wrong -- whether they didn't study hard enough or focused too heavily on the text rather than the lectures -- so that they can do better on the next one.

This can be applied in nearly every context, from completing a project at work to dieting to buying a house with your spouse.

Achieving a goal isn't always easy. You'll face myriad setbacks. You'll get frustrated. You'll want to quit when you don't seem to be getting results. I've been there.

But rather than quit, change your strategy. Maybe you discover that a slight tweak here and there enables you to become more productive. Sometimes it's about working smarter rather than harder.  And it's pivotal that you be open to change. If you remain stuck in your ways, you won't get very far.

If you want to achieve any goal, perseverance is key. When you feel the urge to scuttle the goal, ask yourself one thing: How do you feel at the thought of someone else achieving that goal rather than you?

Keep your eyes on the prize. Be willing to do anything it takes to reach the finish line. Ratjer than quit, adapt and explore other avenues. You can do it!

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