Deciding when to quit and when to keep pushing
In the face of difficulty quitting is seen as the easy way out. We idolize perseverance because it shows us we're capable of more than we thought and pushing past our limits helps us learn and grow stronger.
Arguments in favor of quitting are equally as common. We see people like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg who dropped out of college and built companies that reshaped the world, and it's difficult not to romanticize quitting to follow your dreams. If we're not passionate about something, we're encouraged to quit and do what makes us happy instead.
The trouble arrives when we’re not sure if quitting is giving up or if it’s a calculated choice to pursue a better opportunity.
Unfortunately, these decisions often live on a continuum. On one side, quitting is the optimal and easy choice, and on the other, perseverance is the optimal and easy choice. In the middle, a line marks the tipping point between the two options.
Reality presents us with situations that are very close to this line making it difficult to know what the “right” choice is.
Perfectionists have a hard time quitting and often stay in jobs or relationships longer than they should because quitting feels like losing. They're trained to keep pushing no matter how tough it gets, and usually, they're rewarded with great results, but sometimes it's much better to cut losses and try again.
On the other hand, there are a group of excellent quitters. At the first signs of discomfort, they jump ship. Sometimes they’re leaving a bad situation, but it makes it difficult to foster growth and enjoy the spoils of perseverance.
We might say perfectionists can benefit from quitting earlier and more often, and quitters could benefit from additional perseverance, but the dubious gray area remains.
The best we can do is a serious review of our options. We can consult mentors, make pros and cons lists, journal, and talk through options, but a clear-cut choice will rarely follow. We’re left flipping coins or throwing darts to make our decisions, but that’s alright.
Not every choice will be easy, but once we choose, we have to commit. Humans are remarkably adaptive, and as long as we make the most of our decision, we usually make it to the other side just fine.
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Adapted from the Prompted Newsletter (https://www.prompted.kevinbronander.com/p/prompted-the-line)
Hey Kevin, I liked what you said about quitting vs perseverance with this statement "On one side, quitting is the optimal and easy choice, and on the other, perseverance is the optimal and easy choice. In the middle, a line marks the tipping point between the two options."
My POV is that both decision have their suitable time and place. Quitting can be a good thing if it propels you forward. Perseverance can be a bad thing if it puts you down.
Let's say you're stuck with a bad habit, like not exercising as an entrepreneur. Quitting that habit may go against a conventional notion of "hustle hard, eat crap, and when you make it you can regain your health," however, it is actually a good thing to maintain exercise regardless of what you do.
The same goes for perseverance - it could be applied to good things or bad things.
It's the entrepreneur's responsibility to think and decide what they want to quit and what they want to continue doing, and having an internal locus of control mentality is a necessary foundation to handling this responsibility.
I hope you found this insightful.