#6 Quitting Time

I know it might sound funny to talk about quitting in a series about hacking it, but quitting is a weapon in our arsenal, and it must be wielded responsibly. If we never gave up on anything, that leads to some funny places. You would have to marry the first person you dated, never leave your job or keep fixing that old beat-up car. Sure, being stubborn when things get tough is a good virtue, but we should try to figure out when we should throw in the towel. There’s a time and a place for it, and I want to unpack what that is. 

The first thing is that quitting must be thoroughly premeditated. It should be planned in advance. If you accidentally commit to an hour on the treadmill, you don’t necessarily need to finish that hour, but the worst thing you could do is to stop on-spot because you feel tired. Tell yourself you’ll slow down and do another five or ten minutes. This keeps you from being impulsive. It helps you build a resolve to stay committed while also keeping you adaptable to changes that you couldn’t have predicted.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what is at stake, here: unforeseen changes. When I graduated college and took my first job as a janitor, I couldn’t have predicted that covid would happen! These bumps are a part of life, and you need to be able to adapt. It doesn’t make you any less resilient, consistent or reliable if you don’t stick it out. You just need to make sure you have some accountability for it so you can do it the right way. It’s easy to make excuses, so make sure you aren’t acting on those fleeting moods. 

How much time you give yourself depends on what situation you’re in, but it should be enough time for the mood to pass. For example, if you had an incident at work, you might commit to one more month to see if things get any better (or at least, subside.) Back to our treadmill example, a good five to ten minutes more might be enough. Waiting it out won’t be fun, but take some time to ride the wave of your emotions. At the end, you will be able to re-evaluate if you still feel the same way. If you do, then you can march right out that door with pride, knowing you did your best and left the rest up to fate. 

The big exception to this is in the face of legitimate danger, or otherwise being worse off. If, for example, your boss becomes hostile, you would be justified in jumping ship as soon as possible. If your leg suddenly cramps up mid-marathon, you should head for the hospital, not the finish line. There’s nothing wrong with bringing something to an end-stories have endings, as do songs and books and anything else you can think of! The thing we are looking for is to do our best to have the kind of ending we want. We want to do our best to ride those waves, rather than being tossed about by them. Life happens. We can’t always predict it or control it. All that we have is our reaction to what is thrown our way. We want to be able to do our best with the cards we are dealt. Being in control of the tap-out, and planning ahead when you would need one will get you much farther than saying you will never quit, ever. 

And this takes some personal accountability. Get some friends together so you can help each other stay consistent. Get someone outside the situation to peer in and help evaluate your course of action. They might tell you to stick it out and see if the storm subsides. They might tell you to jump ship a little faster! Life can be a tricky thing sometimes, and a fresh perspective will help you stay true to your goals and yourself in an authentic way. 

I pray this post finds you well, and that you deepen your understanding of quitting. I pray you develop the wisdom to know when to hold on and when to let go, for the ultimate goal of creating a better tomorrow. 

Until next time

May peace be your guide, and your reward.