When to Quit and When to Stick
Winners quit a lot. Here’s why.
Everyone has moments where he or she thinks: “I feel like quitting”. Whether it’s at school, at work, when playing a sport or in your marriage.
Everywhere you see and hear the quote: “winners never quit”. I think this is bs.
Quitting doesn’t have to be bad. I think that being able to quit on time is a very valuable skill to have so you can get the most out of your professional and personal life.
Winners do quit actually, they quit a lot. Quitting enables other opportunities where you can shift your focus on.
You just have to know when to strategically quit and when to stick.
Quit the wrong stuff at the right moment and stick to the good stuff.
The dip
In our lives, we run into obstacles. Personal obstacles, professional obstacles, obstacles when doing a sport or when playing a video game. Without these obstacles, the world would be a boring place.
In his book “the dip” Seth Godin explains that with almost everything worth doing, you will run into an obstacle which he calls a “dip”.
My dad
My dad has been in the fashion industry all his life. As a refugee, he started his business at a young age from the ground up. When building up his business he got sucked into a shit load of dips. When setting up his factory abroad, he knocked on doors for a tomato because the major part of the money he earned went to his business and us back home.
He kept grinding and eventually, it worked out well. We had everything we could wish for. This was due to the perseverance of my dad.
He pushed through the dip(s).
The dips did stop for a while. But as we all know, life has ups and downs, this also applies to the dips. In a later stadium, he still kept running into different dips. He always knew when to stick, he always knew when it was worth it and he always knew when to quit certain parts of his business to free time and attention for things that mattered most at that given time.
The dip is on your side
Your whole study is made out of dips. Those exams? Yes, those exams are dips.
Getting your driver’s license, a dip.
A job application, a dip.
When your chest acidifies during bench presses, a dip.
The arguments you’re having with your boyfriend, a dip.
The dip distinguishes the scarcity from the mediocrity, without the dip, scarcity won’t be possible. That’s why you should consider the dip as your friend. If you decide to go through it, lean into it.
A couple of years ago, I started working on this project at a very cool company. Great people, great culture, great parties, great location, great everything. At that time, I remember myself saying: I’m never going to leave this company.
In the beginning, I learned a lot and had lots of fun working there. But then after a year I slowly was getting bored. I felt that this rising line was slowly becoming constant, a so-called cul-de-sac.
Cul-de-sac
Noun
A street or passage closed at one end.
I had the idea that staying at that company would stop me from learning and doing more, a dead end. So I quit. I‘ve never regretted this choice since.
It’s all about recognizing opportunities and dead ends. Do you see a dead end, try to quit asap and shift your focus to something better. Do you think that you’ll be the best in [insert activity]? Good, go for it and when the dip comes, work through it.
In “the dip” Seth Godin states that you should ask yourself these 3 questions before quitting:
1. Am I panicking?
Quitting when you’re panicked is dangerous and expensive. The best quitters, as we’ve seen, are the ones who decide in advance when they’re going to quit. You can always quit later — so wait until you’re done panicking to decide.2. Who am I trying to influence?
If you have a well defined person you’re trying to influence and they’re not listening, it may be time to quit. But when it’s a whole market, there are plenty of other people you could try to influence. Influencing a market is a hill you have to climb.3. What sort of measurable progress am I making? If you’re trying to succeed in a job or a relationship or at a task, you’re either moving forward, falling behind, or standing still. There are only three choices.
At the end of his book, he also gives an exercise along with some additional questions.
“Here’s an assignment for you: Write it down. Write down under what circumstances you’re willing to quit. And when. And then stick with it.”
- Is this a Dip, a Cliff, or a Cul-de-Sac?
- If it’s a Cul-de-Sac, how can I change it into a Dip?
- Is my persistence going to pay off in the long run?
- Am I engaged with just one person (or organization), or do my actions in this situation spill over into the entire marketplace?
- When should I quit? I need to decide now, not when I’m in the middle of it, and not when part of me is begging to quit.
- If I quit this task, will it increase my ability to get through the Dip on something more important?
- If I’m going to quit anyway, is there something dramatic I can do instead that might change the game?
- Should I really be calling on IBM? Should I really be trying to get on Oprah?
- What chance does this project have to be the best in the world?
- Is doing nothing better than planning on quitting and then doing something great?
- Are you avoiding the remarkable as a way of quitting without quitting?
“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”
Thank you for reading.
