SATURDAY SAGE: 7 Good Things About Skillful Quitting
Quitting is pathetic, impulsive, and caving in. It results in a storm of defeat. Or at least that’s what people think.
Familiar stories:
- An eleven-year-throws his ball glove on the ground, “I quit”.
- An employee feels overlooked for a promotion, and says, “I quit”, and walks out.
- Amateur golfer, double bogeys three times, “d * * * * t, “I quit”.
The myths of quitting are nothin’ but a bunch of baloney!
Get ready. Skillful quitting rocks your world.
Skillful Quitting:
“Of all the strategies, to know when to quit is the best”. Chinese Proverb
The myths of quitting show up unexpectedly. They stymie you from moving forward. Skillful quitting is the bravest decision of your life.
Chasing your passion too long is wasteful. Originally passion was associated with pain and suffering. Don’t let passion harm you.
People applaud grit and determination, but these skills are suspect when making life decisions.
“I’m not a quitter,” is risky business. Stubbornness blocks your willingness to quit. Lurking behind stubbornness, you find vanity and arrogance.
More is lost in victory than defeat.
7 Good things about skillful quitting:
- Freedom to pursue new directions
- You realize that your “passion” was only an interest in something
- You admit that it’s not working
- Frustration vanishes
- Self-confidence returns
- New decisions are energizing
- Abandon your one-track mind
4 Myths:
Myth #1:
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” – author unknown
Winners are the very best at quitting. Losers lose because they aren’t willing to quit. You wanna win? Then don’t be afraid to cash in your chips and ask for a new hand.
Myth #2:
“If you quit once, it becomes a habit. Never quit!!!” ― Michael Jordan
Skillful quitting isn’t habitual quitting. It’s a line in the sand that says it’s time to change direction. You won’t know when, but skillful quitters know why it’s time to change.
Myth #3:
“It’s always too soon to quit!” ― Norman Vincent Peale
Don’t let grit fool you. Skillful quitting is the fastest route to new discoveries.
Blind determination is a crap shoot. Explore quitting when you feel irrelevant, boredom fills your day, goals keep changing, and you constantly feel worn out.
Myth #4:
“Quitting is the only failure.” ― Brajesh Kumar Singh
Stubborn attitudes are harmful.
When a new attitude shows up, skillful quitting usually deserves the credit.
Holding on for too long brings negative results. There are times when quitting is the right thing to do.
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