You surely must have heard it all…There are several stigma attached to quitting. Many people believe that strong and successful people do not quit, they keep fighting till they get to the top.
Success is largely said to be embedded in overcoming hurdles and the more you have suffered to get through something, the more successful some people think you are…
The manner the ‘concept of quitting’ has been presented to us over the years has soiled the humility and nobleness that comes with quitting.
There is nothing wrong with quitting in life. What time you quit or what you have to quit determines whether your action is the best option or not.
Few years ago when I finished college, I had a well-paying job. It took me less than 30 minutes to get to work every morning. I had several great work colleagues and soon after I took up the job, I had a promotion. It was not a big promotion but it added some extra pounds to my salary.
From outside, it seemed I was living the life and my friends saw me as the lucky one since most of them were struggling to find jobs after college…
However, I hated this job. Nothing about the job made me happy…I had to struggle and drag myself out of bed each morning to get to the office. Though my body was in the office from Mondays to Fridays, I do not remember a single day that my spirit went to work with me. I never took my eyes off the clock in the office since I couldn’t wait to leave at 5pm.
For almost two years, I lived my life this way. Even though I considered quitting the job several times, I had unconsciously bought into the idea that, quitting was for losers and there was no way I was going to be a loser in life.
Quitting was not my only problem…I was scared about the future. Quit the job and go out there to do what? Join my job seeking friends who could hardly afford a take away?
What I did not realize was that, there are times when quitting is perfectly right. There are times when quitting brings the success in you. There are times you fail yourself because you fail to quit. There are times the challenge needed to overcome is to have the courage to quit. This was one of such times…
When I discussed quitting the job with my friends and family, most of them called me silly names. The recession was bad and it was not easy to find a job. Many of my friends have been searching for close to 2 years without even an interview. The few friends who understood my plight advised that I stay in the job, manage with the struggle until I find another that will bring me the satisfaction and happiness –then I can quit.
Though this was the best advice anyone could possible give, I couldn’t go through with it. I kept tormenting myself each day I had to walk to the office…I had no connection with the job, I did not get any satisfaction and fulfilment from the job. I hated myself for being there.
I went to the office empty and came back home hollow each day…Eventually; I resigned and left the job.
I did not know what was next for me, I did not know where the next month pay cheque would come from and I did not know if I would ever find a satisfying job. However, one thing I knew for sure was that, quitting lifted a burden off my shoulders…
I felt more successful and proud than ever…Quitting gave me the satisfaction and the drive to chase my uncertain future.
For the next couple of months, I spent a lot of time online reading several blogs and that is how I found my blogging passion. I knew I love to write and share my opinions about things but then quitting challenged me to pursue that passion…
My bank account is far less than it was and it would probably have been 10x better if I stayed in the job. But I am happier and feel very successful today with the little than when I had that job hanging around my neck.
All I am telling you is that, when you find yourself in a situation and you have to consider available options, do not totally discard ‘quitting’. It could be the best option…It could be the only option that would fetch you the success and joy you want…
When has quitting anything brought you joy? When has quitting been the best for you in life? When does quitting mean success to you?
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Tags: Quitting in life
Chris_Vincent Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:43 am
Definitely, quitting is not always the best option but SOMETIMES, it is the best. Many of us think going through an ordeal or a hard life is what is term as SUCCESS.
But sometimes, success is as simple as quitting…So I do agree with you that it is not not always the best option, but sometimes it is the best option. Knowing when to go for quitting as the option is what people must pay attention to…
In my case, it was success for me to quit, it was the best option.I am sure there have been times that quitting as been the best for you too!
I remember when my friend sworn to kill his girlfriend for cheating, he gathered some knives and was going to head to her life…We talked him into quitting or aborting the journey. And as you can see, quitting in this case was what we call success, not if he had gone through the pains to injure or kill her…He quitting was just a big success to his life!
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kwakugh Reply:
February 2nd, 2013 at 5:46 pm
its not really about the quitting but what you are willing to quit as a sacrifice to face tomorrow….it was a tough decision for me to lose $20000 in some few months ago … the credits n sacrifice to quit chasing what i invested in was worth it…i was sleepless n restless….quitting the sacrifice was an option at that moment and i never regret it…
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Chris_Vincent Reply:
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:23 am
Glad you opted for a quit under a circumstance and you have not regretted it. What makes it difficult for us to quit sometimes is the time and investment we have put in something as you mentioned. But then, in such circumstance, we must look at what we have a head of us, thus, if we are able to quit. Thanks for commenting!