When It’s Time To Quit…

There’s a reason not a lot of people talk about quitting, and the reason is because quitting feels wrong. Our whole lives we’re told by everyone from our parents to our coaches that “winners never quit and quitters never win.” Well, we’re here to tell you to forget all of that because, if done right, quitting can be an excellent strategy.

In almost every endeavour only a tiny percentage of people can “win.” When you first set out to do something there is always a sense of excitement, enthusiasm, energy… Then the “dip” hits. The “dip” is the screen, the filter that separates the triers from the winners. For example, when attempting to get accepted into medical school the #1 course that keeps people from succeeding in doing so is Organic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry is the “dip.” However, this is actually a good thing! If it weren’t for the “dip,” then everyone would be everything… There would be no importance put on individuals or companies. There would be no “best.”

Getting passed the dip takes a strong mind set as well as a strong skill set. You have a limited amount of resources (i.e. money, time) during any given situation. If you try to do everything, you’re going to be very busy, but what you’re also doing is dissipating your energy across a range of things. This dissipation means that those individuals who decide to focus on one singular thing will always beat you. The reason people get to where they are in specific ventures is because they quit all their other ventures. The individuals who are expert at X are the ones who aren’t putting focus on all the other Y’s (i.e. hobbies, family time etc.).

You can get through any dip if it’s the right size and if you have the right mind/skill set. But always remember that every dip has a cost, so ask yourself before you start: is it worth it? Are you willing to pay the price it takes to focus enough to move past the dip to the other (profit) side? If not, you shouldn’t even bother starting. Smart quitters either quit at the beginning or the end, never during the dip; because if you quit in the dip, half way through organic chemistry, then you’ve wasted all that time it took you to get this far without garnering any of the benefits on the other end.