How to Know When to Quit? — The Art Of Winners
How to know when to quit the right stuff at the right time.
In Seth Godin’s ‘The Dip”, Godin emphasizes the fact that winners have to quit. The famous saying ‘Winners never quit’ is terrible advice, according to the author.
“Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.” — Seth Godin
Should you have never quit wetting your bed, or should you have never quit that retail job in high school?- NO. Winners quit all the time to invest their time and money into better opportunities for themselves.
Brain Armstrong, the CEO and co-founder of Coinbase, the lead crypto trading platform, and multi-billion dollar company had to quit many times in his life to find his path. Armstrong, at an early age, had a steady job as a programmer at Airbnb. Given the financial stability and success of the company, he could have easily been complacent and got on with his life. However, he decided to quit and follow his passions for ‘economic freedom,’ as he says.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should quit your job, but you should consider leaving those things in your life that, although they may bring you comfort, are not allowing you to progress and grow.
Godin says that “Becoming number 1 is a wise investment of your time and effort because when u become number 1, you’re the first thing that comes to people’s mind. And if it takes quitting one thing to become number 1 in another, so be it.
What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘coffee shop’ or ‘electric cars. Now, I would put a lot of money on the fact that you thought of Starbucks and Tesla. That’s because these companies have had to sacrifice what may seem beneficial in the present to be number 1 in the future.
Now, When Should You Quit?
When undertaking a new venture, there can be initial, rapid growth whilst you’re still learning and getting lots of positive feedback. However, it can reach a point where the novelty wears off, and your results start to dip.
At this point, this new venture is more frustrating than fun.
How do you know if it’s a quick dip or a dead end and you should quit before it’s too late?
To answer this, Godin highlights that it’s about who you influence. Being persistent in a wider market is more likely to pay off than in a niche one. JK Rowling had been rejected 12 times for Harry Potter by many publishers but found success because she was appealing to a wider market when it came to books. If what you’re aiming for comes under a wider market, it is much more likely that at least one person, publisher, or company will enjoy your content and be likely to take it on board.
“To be a superstar, you must do something exceptional. Not just survive the Dip, but use the Dip as an opportunity to create something so extraordinary that people can’t help but talk about it, recommend it, and, yes, choose it.” — Seth Godin
Have a great week!
Abdullah
Check out my Blog & FREE eBook with lifestyle tips talking about my journey from rejection in medical school to now getting within the top 10% in the UK.
