In his book The Art of Money Getting, circus great P. T. Barnum writes:

Take two generals; both understand military tactics, both educated at West Point, if you please, both equally gifted; yet one, having this principle of perseverance, and the other lacking it, the former will succeed in his profession, while the latter will fail. One may hear the cry, “the enemy are coming, and they have got cannon.”

“Got cannon?” says the hesitating general.

“Yes.”

“Then halt every man.”

He wants time to reflect; his hesitation is his ruin; the enemy passes unmolested, or overwhelms him; while on the other hand, the general of pluck, perseverance and self-reliance, goes into battle with a will, and, amid the clash of arms, the booming of cannon, the shrieks of the wounded, and the moans of the dying, you will see this man persevering, going on, cutting and slashing his way through with unwavering determination, inspiring his soldiers to deeds of fortitude, valor, and triumph.

Along our path to success, we are sure to encounter obstacles. There’s no way to avoid them. What separates the winners from the losers is what we do when encounter them. The easiest thing to do in the moment of trial is to give up, at least for a time. The problem is, when we stop, our goal becomes that much harder to reach. Continual action toward the goal allows us to succeed.

I believe it was coach Vince Lombardi that once said, “Good things come to those who wait, but only that which was left behind by those who hustle.”

Taking action is what leads us to success. If we stop to pout at every setback, we are lost. Once you have a goal, you have to keep chasing it, or it will get away.