Never give up.

So, as you can see, it all begins with your mindset. You have to first master the power of YET and embrace the growth mindset. Believe that you have the ability to learn new things and not feel disappointed when you make mistakes. When you give yourself the permission to learn, you will find within yourself the power to pick yourself up after setbacks.

There is a famous Japanese saying that goes, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight”. This is the never-give-up spirit. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you get up again and keep trying.

In short, the more you try, the more resilient you will be. Remember: resilience is like a muscle you can train.

To never give up is to be resilient. It is useful to learn the synonyms for “resilient” so that we can use them to help us form positive self-talk statements.

Write down the word that has the closest meaning to that of resilience from these authentic World Cup 2022 examples.

Despite being down by one goal, the  tough-as-nails Japanese team never despaired during their match with Germany. They were rewarded with a late comeback, with goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano seeing them win Germany 2-1 eventually. (Tough-as-nails)

Similarly, in the match against Spain, Japan initially fell behind by a goal. The tenacious Japanese only had possession of the ball for 18% of the time but fought hard to make their limited opportunities count. They scored two goals in quick succession during the second half. (Tenacious)

Argentina shockingly lost against Saudi Arabia in their first match. But they doggedly gathered their wits and played well together to win Mexico in the second match. (doggedly)

Australia was another stellar example of resilience. After losing to France, they persistently displayed their fitness and skills to win their other two matches against Tunisia and Denmark. (Persistently)

Japan, Argentina and Australia bounced back from their setbacks. How about you? Describe a time when you played sports and never quit even though you were on the losing end.

The never-give-up spirit is best illustrated on the soccer field. It is not over until the final whistle is blown. Likewise, you have a long journey ahead of you. Setbacks would not prevent you from attaining your goals unless you let them.

Now that you know “tough”, “tenacious”, “doggedly” and “persistently” are synonymous with “resilience”, use them to form positive self-talk statements:

I will be as tough and tenacious as __________.

I will doggedly and persistently pursue my goal of _________.