When to Quit

Knowing when to quit the wrong thing is crucial for a great life. 

Perseverance is only a good quality if you are doing something that makes sense for you.

Continuing to do something that is not good for you or not working for you is guaranteed to make your life miserable.

Not quitting something obviously bad for you is always wrong...hard drugs, smoking, excessive drinking, reckless behavior, overeating junk food and toxic relationships.

What gets missed is that quitting something not right for you can be just as harmful.

You should quit

  • Any relationship where the other person is not treating you with kindness and respect.  This includes friendships, family and even a marriage.
  • Jobs that are not working for you in some way.  Low pay, poor benefits, long hours, excessive stress, irritating co-workers, unreasonable supervisors, a dying industry, a stagnant location and long commutes all contribute to a poor quality of life for you.
  • Activities that keep you too busy to do things you really want to do.
  • Things that can hurt you in some way.

From Harvard Business Review

When to Stick With Something and When to Quit

Favorite quote -

In fact, there’s a large body of work showing that perseverance may have a harmful downside. Not giving up can mean people persist even when they have nothing to gain.

ahappiermanA Happier Man knows when to quit

When to Quit Basketball - My Story

I hated playing basketball.

I dreaded the practices.  I hated the games. I hated the tiny skin-tight uniforms. I dreaded every practice and game and was physically ill every day with the thought of it.

I hated autumn waiting for basketball to start, not even enjoying the sport of football that I was good at. I hated winter because of basketball.

My feet were covered in blisters from the first day of practice and never healed all season. I sprained my ankles countless times had to hobble along most of the time.That physical pain was telling me at the time that I should not play, but I just stoically got my ankles taped and kept going.

I never started, I was a bench warmer. When I got into a game, I was not able to contribute.

I played basketball in 7th, 8th, freshmen, sophomore and junior year. I never got in good enough shape to easily run up and down the court with ease the way the other guys did even though I was there at all the practices, doing the drills, running the line.  And I never got good at it even though I practiced all that time.

There was no reason for me to play and a huge list of why I should quit.

But quitting anything,even if it the obviously correct decision, is unbelievably difficult.

I made the decision to quit just before the start of the season of my senior year. When I screwed up the courage to tell the head coach, he went livid with rage. He wasn’t the type of guy who took things in stride.  He could not believe I was quitting.

After he calmed down, he told me to at least think about it. But I had already thought about it when I told him.

That winter without basketball was the best winter I had ever had up to that point in my life. I did not dread going to school each day. I enjoyed school for the first time in years. I had fun all the time. I even enjoyed going to the games for the first time.

The rest of my senior year was fantastic. I had the best year of my young life.

Quitting basketball salvaged my high school experience. High school had sucked up through that point.  If I would not have quit I probably would be very bitter about high school.

Quitting things you hate will be one of your best decisions.

› › When to Quit

The only way I could become the happier man I am today was by leaving my wife.  You might be in the same situation I was in.  I suggest you take a look at my book - Leave Your Wife & Become a Happier Man with the 3 Step System.

Click to go to learn more about the book

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