Never Give Up
It's not personal motivation bullshit. There are mathematical reasons.
When you're running late for a commitment, very late, it's normal to think "I'm not going to make it" and give up along the way. It's normal to think that you can't do anything anymore, that they won't accept you, that you've lost the opportunity, that there's nothing to be done. And you stop running, turn around, and go back home.
That's giving up, and it doesn't make sense.
Life, for me, is about knowing how to bet and knowing about statistics. What do you lose by keeping running, even if you arrive very late? Showing up will always be better, and maybe they'll accept you. Maybe everything will turn out fine. Or perhaps they'll ridicule you for thinking they were still waiting and make your effort worthless.
No, that probability doesn't exist. People tend to be good.
Does that seem like an unacceptable risk? You really don't lose anything:
If you take the risk and keep running, there is a probability of winning. That you achieve it, that they accept you, that you get what you wanted.
If you decide to stop and quit running, there is no probability of winning. You will lose 100% of the time.
The fear of "ridicule," of "looking bad," or of the possibility of losing after making an effort, is what holds back many brilliant people. It's stupid to think it's better to lose with dignity than to try to win an impossible situation.
Never give up until you've exhausted every means you have. And when you exhaust them, close your eyes and try what you don't think you can do. Always