You Can Be a Proud Quitter

Keep going! Don’t stop! Don’t be a quitter! Just one more time, you can do it! We’ve all heard these words many times as we were growing up and we continue telling them to ourselves. These words can definitely help us overcome obstacles, reach new levels of performance, and challenge our fears. Quitting has a really bad reputation. I would argue that quitting is awesome if you quit with an intention.

Look at the following examples:

• Quitting bad habits is an obvious one. But let’s look beyond smoking or biting your nails. I’m sure people around you would appreciate if you stopped your negative remarks or quit complaining about the reality. Maybe you can quit seeing every email in your inbox as a task. That’s what I did and now with each message I’m asking, “What does this email inspire me to do?” If I can’t get an answer, then I move it out of my way. Think about what drains your energy or what takes away your confidence and find a way to quit your default behavior.
  

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.

• We start many things to follow our curiosity. For me it was joining a book club, collecting ideas about coaching, journaling about my day... Over time these activities became a habit. You catch yourself thinking, “I don’t feel like doing this any more.” But quitting cold turkey makes you feel like all that time and energy you spent on it so far was for nothing. You wonder, “What would others think of me?” So you continue, waiting for a good reason to quit. What about taking a break? Give yourself a month and see if you miss it.
  

Quitting one thing creates space for something new.

• You’ve been working on a goal. You imagined how it would look like when you’re done. It could have been a presentation, a design project, a report… And after hours, you are going nowhere. You are stuck and time is ticking. Quitting? Are you crazy? Yes, you have to quit what you are doing, because it’s obviously not working for you. You see, it doesn’t mean to quit the idea, just the way you are approaching it. Quitting may mean admitting that what you are doing is just not working. It will allow you to look for new ways.
  

We evolve with time and our interests change. Don’t feel trapped by decisions you made in the past. It’s a new day, a new opportunity. What new thing do you crave to try? What are you curious about? How can you simplify your life? How can you create space for something new?

What can you quit right now?