It’s ok to quit

Really. Go ahead. Here’s your permission.

Contrary to what you may have been told, I want you to know something: you’re allowed to quit.

And if you do quit, I want you to know that quitting is not a sign of weakness, flakiness, or lack of commitment.

Knowing when to push the escape key is one of the harder things to figure out in life.

On the contrary, a thoroughly-considered, conscious, and educated decision to quit something is a sign of authenticity, thoughtfulness, and resiliency.

“How on earth is throwing in the towel a sign of authenticity, thoughtfulness, and resiliency?” you might be asking.

Because more often than not, quitting is actually harder than not quitting.

[Not impulsively. But if it makes you chronically miserable, maybe it’s time.]

More often than not, choosing to veer from the comfortable, predictable, safe, known path takes more effort than staying comfortable, predictable, safe, and known.

The person who does the emotional work of questioning, evaluating, testing, and trying is demonstrating more intention, motivation, self-awareness, and grit than the person who does not do the emotional work.

A quitter vs. a person who quits

There are two types of quitting:

1. The first type of quitting is often associated with impulsiveness, short-sightedness, bridge-burning, and a whole lot of “f-you”’s. It is typically rooted in frustration, anger, and sadness.
2. The second type of quitting — the kind we’re talking about here — is rooted in self-awareness, bravery, and authenticity.

Be the second kind.

The second kind of quitters aren’t throwing in the towel.

The second kind of quitters simply refuse to let fear of the unknown take precedence over their self-determination.

The second kind of quitters are brave enough to embrace uncertainty.

For these people, quitting is an act of planting the seed of possibility.

Real talk: there isn’t room for new possibilities, opportunities, relationships, or discoveries if you’re laser-focused and blindly committed to your current situation.

If you’re not questioning, growing, and yes, quitting things from time to time, what exactly are you doing?

Whether it’s a job, an entire career field, a friendship, a relationship, a habit, a hobby, or a perspective…one of the simplest ways to improve yourself and your life is to periodically do a check-in. Evaluate whether or not these things are serving you anymore. And if they’re not, it may be time to quit.

And that’s ok.