About this quote

Half-hearted efforts usually guarantee failure. When you say you will attempt to do something, you already give yourself an excuse to quit when it gets hard. Real commitment means you either throw your entire weight behind an action or you step away. Stop hiding behind polite compromises and make a clear choice. Are you going to finish that difficult task today, or are you just going through the motions?

When to use it

• Before starting a grueling marathon training plan, you look in the mirror and decide you are either waking up at five in the morning every day or you are giving up the race entirely.
• A software developer hesitates to launch a new app, saying they will 'try' to find time to code it. They realize they need to schedule two dedicated hours tonight or delete the draft.
• Your business partner keeps stalling on making a tough hiring decision, claiming they are still looking into options. You tell them they need to either sign the contract today or reject the candidate outright.