Eyebee Prep
  • Home
  • IB STUDY MATERIALS
    • Psychology SL/HL >
      • Tips & Guide
      • Biological Approach >
        • Brain and Behaviour
        • Hormones and Pheromones
        • Genetics and Evolution
        • HL Animal Research
      • Sociocultural Approach >
        • Individual and the group
        • Cultural Origins
        • Cultural Influences
        • HL Globalization
      • Cognitive Approach >
        • Cognitive Processing
        • Reliability of Cognitive Processes
        • Emotion and Cognition
        • HL Digital World
      • B. Human Relationships >
        • Personal Relationships
        • Group Dynamics
      • D. Developmental >
        • Developing as a Learner
        • Developing an Identity
      • Studies >
        • Biological Approach
        • Sociocultural Approach
        • Cognitive Approach
        • B. Human Relationships
        • D. Developmental
    • Chemistry SL/HL >
      • Tips & Guide
      • All Vocab Definitions
      • ALL EQUATIONS
      • Unit 1,2 & 12
      • Unit 3 &13
      • Unit 4 &14
      • Unit 5,6,7 & 15,16,17
      • Unit 8 & 18
      • Unit 9 & 19
      • Unit 10 & 20
      • Unit 11 & 21
      • Option D: Medicinal Chemistry >
        • D.1 PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS AND DRUG ACTION
        • D.2 Aspirin and penicillin
        • D.3 Opiates
        • D.4 pH Regulation of the Stomach
        • D.5 Antiviral Medications
        • D.6 Environmental impact of some medications
        • D.7 Taxol- A Chiral Auxiliary Case Study
        • D.8 Nuclear Medicine
        • D.9 Drug Detection and Analysis
    • Biology SL >
      • Tips & Guides
      • TOPIC 1: CELL BIOLOGY >
        • 1.1 Introduction to cells
        • 1.2 Ultrastructure of Cells
        • 1.3 Membrane Structure
        • 1.4 Membrane Transport
        • 1.5 Origin of Cells
        • 1.6 Cell Division
      • TOPIC 2: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY >
        • 2.1 Molecules to metabolism
        • 2.2 Water
        • 2.3 Carbohydrates and Lipids
        • 2.4 Proteins
        • 2.5 Enzymes
        • 2.6 Structure of DNA and RNA
        • 2.7 DNA Replications, Transcription and Translation
        • 2.8 Cell Respiration
        • 2.9 Photosynthesis
      • Topic 3: Genetics >
        • 3.1 Genes
        • 3.2 Chromosomes
        • 3.3 Meiosis
        • 3.4 Inheritance
        • 3.5 Genetic Modification and Biotechnology
      • Topic 4: Ecology >
        • 4.1: Species, Communities and Ecosystems
        • 4.2 Energy Flow
        • 4.3 Carbon Cycling
        • 4.4 Climate Change
      • Topic 5: Evolution and Biodiversity >
        • 5.1 Evidence for evolution
        • 5.2 Natural Selection
        • 5.3 Classification and Biodiversity
        • 5.4 Cladistics
      • Topic 6: Human Physiology >
        • 6.1 Digestive System
        • 6.2 The blood system
        • 6.3 Defense against infectious disease
        • 6.4 Gas Exchange
        • 6.5 Neurons and Synapses
        • 6.6 Hormones, Homeostasis and Reproduction
    • Physics SL >
      • Must-have Resources
      • Full Study Resources
      • Other Resources
      • Tips & Guide
      • IA, Lab Report
      • Topic 1: Measurements & Uncertainties
      • TOPIC 2: MECHANICS
      • TOPIC ​3: THERMAL PHYSICS
      • Topic 4: Waves
      • Topic 5: Electricity & Magnetism
      • Topic 6: Circular Motion & Gravitation
      • Topic 7: Atomic, Nuclear, & Particle Physics
      • Topic 8: Energy Production
      • Option D: Astrophysics
    • Geography SL/HL >
      • Tips & guide
      • Unit 1: Changing population
      • Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience
      • Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security
      • Unit 4: Power, Places and Networks
      • Unit 5: Human Development and Diversity
      • Unit 6: Global Risks and Resillience
      • Option A: Freshwater
      • Option B: Ocean and Coastal Margins
      • Option C: Extreme Environments
      • Option E: Leisure, tourism and sport
    • Business SL/HL(pending) >
      • Tips & guides
      • Unit 1: Business Organization and Movement >
        • 1.1 Nature of Business
        • 1.2 Types of Organizations
        • 1.3 Organizational objectives
        • 1.4 Stakeholders
        • 1.5 External Environment
        • 1.6 Growth and evolution
      • Unit 2: Human Resource Management >
        • 2.1 The functions and evolution of human resource management
        • 2.2 Organizational structure
        • 2.3 Leadership and management
        • 2.4 Motivation
      • Unit 3: Finance and Accounts >
        • 3.1 Sources of Finance
        • 3.2 Costs and Revenues
        • 3.3 Break-even analysis
        • 3.4 Final accounts
        • 3.5 Profitability and liquidity ratio analysis
        • 3.7 cash flow
      • Unit 4: Marketing >
        • 4.1 The role of marketing
        • 4.2 Marketing Planning
        • 4.4 Market Research
        • 4.5 The four ps
        • 4.8 E-commerce
      • Unit 5: Operations Management >
        • 5.1 The role of operations Management
        • 5.2 Production methods
        • 5.4 Locations
    • Economics SL/HL (pending) >
      • Tips & guides
      • MICROECONOMICS >
        • 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply
      • macroeconomics
    • Chinese B SL >
      • Oral Example
    • Extended Essay (EE) >
      • General Tips
      • Physics EE
    • Internal Assessment (IA) >
      • General Tips
    • Theory of Knowledge >
      • Essay Example
      • Presentation Example
    • Other notes >
      • Topic 1: Measurements and Uncertainties
      • Topic 2: Mechanics
      • Topic 3: Thermal Physics
      • Topic 4: Waves
      • Topic 5: Electricity and Magnetism
      • Topic 6: Circular Motion and Gravitation
      • Topic 7: Atomic, Nuclear and Particle Physics
      • Topic 8: Energy Production
      • Option D: Astrophysics
    • Other Citations
  • UNI application
    • United States
    • United Kingdom >
      • Academic Schools
      • Art & Design Schools
    • China
    • Japan
    • Hong Kong
    • Canada (pending)
    • Australia (pending)
  • our warm advice
    • academic advice!
    • Toxic Productivity
    • Finding Your Balance
    • Giving Up
    • YOLO?
    • Are grades important
    • Danger of Quotes
    • How to Destress
  • About us

How do we know the right time to give up/ keep trying? 

Everyone wants to be successful. Our society preaches that as long as you work hard and put in the effort, you can achieve your goals, no matter how far-fetched. But that’s not realistic. Out of the billions of people live on our planet, only a few thousand have played in the NBA, become the President of their country, become multibillionaires. So how do they do it? While all these stars and role models cite their success to hard work, God and their own inner drive, perhaps what they miss is being realistic. And sometimes being realistic means facing the choice between continuing down a rocky, unforgiving road or turning away and choosing another.
 
In explaining my take on deciding what to do in these cases, I offer you two scenarios: a person who wants to find success in everything, and a person who wants to succeed in a passion that they have been continuously struggling with.
 
Let’s look at the first scenario. This person wants to be the best at everything that they do. They do fencing, golf, Math Olympiad, debate, and piano for their extracurriculars, and practice these activities every week. Their vision of success is winning in all the tournaments that they attend, all while keeping up with their grades. However, they are struggling to do so, getting eliminated at the quarterfinals or failing to even reach the top 20 in their tournaments. Their grades are mediocre at best and they are constantly inches away from reaching their goals of success.
 
Now on the second scenario. This person loves basketball and sets a goal of reaching the NBA/WNBA. They train daily and work as hard as they possibly can on drills, shooting and more. However, they simply can’t reach their school’s Division One team every year, no matter how hard they try and can’t achieve the goals that they set for themselves for each game. Also, they are 165 centimeters tall at the age of 18. This person feels that they have tried their hardest and wants to continue down that path to seek success. Meanwhile, this is eating up on their time to study, to pursue other interests, and spend time with their family.
 
These scenarios are perhaps what many students and adults face or have faced at some point in their lives. And I’ll structure my advice by each scenario.
 
For the first scenario, the person is spreading out all their time and effort to do several different activities at once. And at the same time, they are losing valuable time to hone and practice their skills for these activities as well. Time is a zero-sum game, and spending 10 hours on practicing fencing means 10 less hours on practicing the piano. If the person wants to achieve their goals of success, they must focus on doing so in one or two activities. The metric for choosing these activities is often based on how much passion a person has for a certain activity or whether they believe they can really find success in this activity. At the point where they are constantly inches away from success even after a long period of time, it is more than time for a reconsideration of strategy.
 
For the second scenario, the person must make this decision of whether to continue or not. The passion, while a noble cause, is hurting them at the same time. While this fits into the common sacrificing for success narrative, when the person is failing to succeed while sacrificing so much, the strategy must be changed. On a cost-benefit calculus, they must decide whether it is worth it to continue chasing this goal and whether this may negatively impact their future or not. If they do choose to continue down this path, the goal may have to be changed to fit a more realistic model, such as scoring 8 points per game, or becoming a starter for the Division 2 team.
 
While this isn’t attempted to become a critique upon society’s “hard work pays off” narrative, we must keep in check the reality we live in upon us striving to reach our goals and fulfill what we define as success.
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • IB STUDY MATERIALS
    • Psychology SL/HL >
      • Tips & Guide
      • Biological Approach >
        • Brain and Behaviour
        • Hormones and Pheromones
        • Genetics and Evolution
        • HL Animal Research
      • Sociocultural Approach >
        • Individual and the group
        • Cultural Origins
        • Cultural Influences
        • HL Globalization
      • Cognitive Approach >
        • Cognitive Processing
        • Reliability of Cognitive Processes
        • Emotion and Cognition
        • HL Digital World
      • B. Human Relationships >
        • Personal Relationships
        • Group Dynamics
      • D. Developmental >
        • Developing as a Learner
        • Developing an Identity
      • Studies >
        • Biological Approach
        • Sociocultural Approach
        • Cognitive Approach
        • B. Human Relationships
        • D. Developmental
    • Chemistry SL/HL >
      • Tips & Guide
      • All Vocab Definitions
      • ALL EQUATIONS
      • Unit 1,2 & 12
      • Unit 3 &13
      • Unit 4 &14
      • Unit 5,6,7 & 15,16,17
      • Unit 8 & 18
      • Unit 9 & 19
      • Unit 10 & 20
      • Unit 11 & 21
      • Option D: Medicinal Chemistry >
        • D.1 PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS AND DRUG ACTION
        • D.2 Aspirin and penicillin
        • D.3 Opiates
        • D.4 pH Regulation of the Stomach
        • D.5 Antiviral Medications
        • D.6 Environmental impact of some medications
        • D.7 Taxol- A Chiral Auxiliary Case Study
        • D.8 Nuclear Medicine
        • D.9 Drug Detection and Analysis
    • Biology SL >
      • Tips & Guides
      • TOPIC 1: CELL BIOLOGY >
        • 1.1 Introduction to cells
        • 1.2 Ultrastructure of Cells
        • 1.3 Membrane Structure
        • 1.4 Membrane Transport
        • 1.5 Origin of Cells
        • 1.6 Cell Division
      • TOPIC 2: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY >
        • 2.1 Molecules to metabolism
        • 2.2 Water
        • 2.3 Carbohydrates and Lipids
        • 2.4 Proteins
        • 2.5 Enzymes
        • 2.6 Structure of DNA and RNA
        • 2.7 DNA Replications, Transcription and Translation
        • 2.8 Cell Respiration
        • 2.9 Photosynthesis
      • Topic 3: Genetics >
        • 3.1 Genes
        • 3.2 Chromosomes
        • 3.3 Meiosis
        • 3.4 Inheritance
        • 3.5 Genetic Modification and Biotechnology
      • Topic 4: Ecology >
        • 4.1: Species, Communities and Ecosystems
        • 4.2 Energy Flow
        • 4.3 Carbon Cycling
        • 4.4 Climate Change
      • Topic 5: Evolution and Biodiversity >
        • 5.1 Evidence for evolution
        • 5.2 Natural Selection
        • 5.3 Classification and Biodiversity
        • 5.4 Cladistics
      • Topic 6: Human Physiology >
        • 6.1 Digestive System
        • 6.2 The blood system
        • 6.3 Defense against infectious disease
        • 6.4 Gas Exchange
        • 6.5 Neurons and Synapses
        • 6.6 Hormones, Homeostasis and Reproduction
    • Physics SL >
      • Must-have Resources
      • Full Study Resources
      • Other Resources
      • Tips & Guide
      • IA, Lab Report
      • Topic 1: Measurements & Uncertainties
      • TOPIC 2: MECHANICS
      • TOPIC ​3: THERMAL PHYSICS
      • Topic 4: Waves
      • Topic 5: Electricity & Magnetism
      • Topic 6: Circular Motion & Gravitation
      • Topic 7: Atomic, Nuclear, & Particle Physics
      • Topic 8: Energy Production
      • Option D: Astrophysics
    • Geography SL/HL >
      • Tips & guide
      • Unit 1: Changing population
      • Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience
      • Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security
      • Unit 4: Power, Places and Networks
      • Unit 5: Human Development and Diversity
      • Unit 6: Global Risks and Resillience
      • Option A: Freshwater
      • Option B: Ocean and Coastal Margins
      • Option C: Extreme Environments
      • Option E: Leisure, tourism and sport
    • Business SL/HL(pending) >
      • Tips & guides
      • Unit 1: Business Organization and Movement >
        • 1.1 Nature of Business
        • 1.2 Types of Organizations
        • 1.3 Organizational objectives
        • 1.4 Stakeholders
        • 1.5 External Environment
        • 1.6 Growth and evolution
      • Unit 2: Human Resource Management >
        • 2.1 The functions and evolution of human resource management
        • 2.2 Organizational structure
        • 2.3 Leadership and management
        • 2.4 Motivation
      • Unit 3: Finance and Accounts >
        • 3.1 Sources of Finance
        • 3.2 Costs and Revenues
        • 3.3 Break-even analysis
        • 3.4 Final accounts
        • 3.5 Profitability and liquidity ratio analysis
        • 3.7 cash flow
      • Unit 4: Marketing >
        • 4.1 The role of marketing
        • 4.2 Marketing Planning
        • 4.4 Market Research
        • 4.5 The four ps
        • 4.8 E-commerce
      • Unit 5: Operations Management >
        • 5.1 The role of operations Management
        • 5.2 Production methods
        • 5.4 Locations
    • Economics SL/HL (pending) >
      • Tips & guides
      • MICROECONOMICS >
        • 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply
      • macroeconomics
    • Chinese B SL >
      • Oral Example
    • Extended Essay (EE) >
      • General Tips
      • Physics EE
    • Internal Assessment (IA) >
      • General Tips
    • Theory of Knowledge >
      • Essay Example
      • Presentation Example
    • Other notes >
      • Topic 1: Measurements and Uncertainties
      • Topic 2: Mechanics
      • Topic 3: Thermal Physics
      • Topic 4: Waves
      • Topic 5: Electricity and Magnetism
      • Topic 6: Circular Motion and Gravitation
      • Topic 7: Atomic, Nuclear and Particle Physics
      • Topic 8: Energy Production
      • Option D: Astrophysics
    • Other Citations
  • UNI application
    • United States
    • United Kingdom >
      • Academic Schools
      • Art & Design Schools
    • China
    • Japan
    • Hong Kong
    • Canada (pending)
    • Australia (pending)
  • our warm advice
    • academic advice!
    • Toxic Productivity
    • Finding Your Balance
    • Giving Up
    • YOLO?
    • Are grades important
    • Danger of Quotes
    • How to Destress
  • About us