When you’re about to give up on something that matters, it can be tough to know what to do next. Should you stay and tough it out, or should you walk away? This can be particularly difficult if you’ve gone all-in on a new job, or if you’ve made the mistake of investing too much in an idea or product that simply isn’t going anywhere. In these situations, knowing when to quit is key to success, but it isn’t always an easy decision to make.
Don’t Put Yourself in a Position That Makes Quitting
Difficult
Making a quitting decision can be challenging. Don’t put
yourself in a position that makes walking away even harder by getting too
invested in any of your roles or relationships. Make sure you don’t get so
close with a role or colleague, for example, that it becomes nearly impossible
to make an exit. Quitting doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing; it’s OK (and often
necessary) to consider cutting ties on some fronts and not others.
Here are seven steps to avoid falling into a trap that makes
quitting difficult
Step 1: Establish why you want to quit
Most people have quit something at some point, but it can be
hard to predict whether you’ll stick with something in advance. There are a lot
of things that influence whether or not someone will be successful in quitting
something and one of those is whether or not they're clear on why they want to
quit. It's tough to overcome urges and resist urges when you don't know why you
want to quit. Are you quitting because it hurts your relationships? Is it
hurting your health? Are you tired of how much time you spend doing it? If not,
then how do you expect to stay motivated for long enough to reach your goal?
Step 2: Create a Plan for Success
When you create a plan for success, you’re telling yourself
that your goal is realistic. This means that if you want to start a new
business, then begin researching how much money it takes to start a business
and what steps to take to get started (should look up resources on Starting
Your Own Business ). then tell yourself
I can do it and plan out your diet until you reach your goal. Get off Google
Drive (or equivalent) and write down all of your goals so that they are stored
in one place.
Step 3: Prove You Are Capable of Success
If you want to be successful, you can’t expect that success
to happen immediately. You need to be prepared for some disappointments and
setbacks before you see your hard work pay off. One of the best ways to prove
that you are capable of succeeding is through experience. If possible, start
doing side projects or freelance jobs to get real-world proof of your skills
and abilities. Prove that you have what it takes by showing it—and don’t ever
take failure as an excuse to quit on yourself. As author and motivational
speaker Jeff Olson said, The road is often better than arriving.
Step 4: Celebrate every step toward your goal
Celebrate every step toward your goal (even if it’s only
10%), and keep your momentum. Set a specific time to congratulate yourself, and
make it as big or small as you want. Some people like to wait until they hit
their goals, while others have daily celebrations when they meet small
milestones. Find what works for you, but try to separate these celebratory
moments from judgment or negativity: They are designed only to make you feel
good about your progress. Remember that feeling good is just as important as
hitting your goal!
Step 5: Learn from mistakes along the way
It’s hard to avoid mistakes, but it’s also incredibly
valuable. Too often we learn the lessons of failure by making them the hard way
and repeating our mistakes many times before they stick in our minds. The
lesson of failure only needs to be learned once. When you mess up, don’t let
yourself feel stupid or beat yourself up—and then move on and make something great.
Beating yourself up about a mistake doesn’t get you anywhere; stop beating
yourself up about your mistakes! If you encounter these problems again in the
future, remember that you've already solved them once; all you have to do is
remind yourself what it was that worked last time.
Step 6: Remind yourself of your end goal in difficult times
Easier said than done, right? When times get tough and
you’re not feeling like yourself, take a step back. Instead of allowing
negative thoughts to spiral out of control, take a moment to visualize your end
goal. Imagine yourself happier and healthier once you meet your weight-loss
goal. Remind yourself that getting there won’t be easy but it will be worth it
in the end!
Step 7: Keep track of your progress with this simple idea
Keeping track of your progress and successes will help keep
you motivated, so take note of every small win. You can even use your
spreadsheet to see how you’re performing against your goals. Celebrate big wins
by giving yourself rewards, like extra time in bed or choosing where to go for
dinner that night. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for smaller
successes like getting out of bed early, going for an evening walk, or reading
more than usual. Do whatever works best to keep your motivation up! If it
works, do it again!
This same approach can be applied to bad habits in your
life. Quitting any kind of habit can be difficult, especially when that habit
involves spending money. Whether you like it or not, most of us have been
conditioned to believe that if we spent some money on something, then we're
more likely to keep doing it over and over again until we've wasted all of our
hard-earned cash on things we don't need anymore and won't even remember in a
few months' time. The only way to avoid this scenario is to not let yourself
fall into the trap in the first place.
How to Know When to Say No
At some point in your career, you’ll be asked to take on
more than you can handle. If you’re tempted to say yes when you know you
shouldn’t, ask yourself how many times in life have you heard someone say, Hey,
why not? Let’s do it! and it resulted in a happy ending. We all want to prove
ourselves at work and sometimes that means we over-commit and burn out. The
best way to avoid being stuck with something that goes against your interests
or beliefs is to establish clear boundaries for yourself.
Know how to say no when you need to? It’s an important skill
to have, but it can be hard to do sometimes. This guide on how to know when to
say no will help you get started and give you the confidence you need to follow
through! By knowing your boundaries and limits, you’ll be able to protect
yourself from being taken advantage of by other people and free up your time
and energy so that you can focus on more worthwhile tasks and relationships in
your life.
Is this project worth your time?
Too often, companies allow themselves to get sidetracked by
yes-men who praise every new project or idea. However, new projects don’t
always represent good use of your time and resources. Asking this simple
question is an easy way to make sure you only take on projects that are worth
your time.
What are you willing to give up?
Before you start to say yes to everything, stop and think
about what you want your life to look like in a year. Then ask yourself: Am I
willing to give up X if it means achieving Y? Before you get overwhelmed with
excitement or concern, remember that saying no is okay—it doesn't make you rude
or less valuable. For example, are you willing to give up time with your family
in order to help out at work? Or would something else need to change first? If
it's just a one-time request for help and not part of an ongoing relationship,
then don't feel guilty about saying no.
Is this something you really want?
Of course, most of us like to be helpful. We want people to
think well of us. We don’t want people thinking we aren’t dedicated enough or
that we aren’t fully committed. The problem is that you can end up wearing
yourself down by saying yes too much, even when you really want to say no. If
you find yourself in this position, stop and ask yourself why you are saying
yes. What are your motivations? Do they outweigh your desire not to do
something? If so, go ahead and take on another project at work or volunteer for
another activity.
Are there people who depend on you?
In that case, you should really give serious thought before
saying no. Saying yes is an extension of your caring and generosity. It’s a way
of giving back and helping others who depend on you or who may look up to you
for support, advice, or mentorship. That said, saying yes too often can lead to
burnout, stress, and resentment. (You might even find yourself growing
irritated with those people who depend on you.) If they rely on you too much,
they’ll have difficulty learning how to become self-sufficient—and let’s face
it: They should be as self-sufficient as possible so that when your time comes,
they won’t need anyone else but themselves.
What other commitments do you have?
Time commitments outside of work can be a tricky thing,
especially if you’re worried about burning bridges. You have some control over
your schedule, but not total control. This is a good time to look at your
calendar and see where you have flexibility for a meeting or call on short
notice. You might even consider offering coworkers preemptive rescheduling
options if you foresee times when you might have other obligations that get in
the way of what they need from you during that time period—and then be sure to
follow through on them when needed!
Will I be compensated adequately?
The big way I hold myself accountable is by asking, 'Will I
be compensated adequately?' says Jeffrey. We don't have a crystal ball and
there are so many uncontrollable factors that dictate compensation—there's
nothing else we can use as a benchmark. If your situation doesn't seem fair to
you, there's really no reason to say yes.
Will I be respected and appreciated for my hard work?
I bet you can already guess what I’m going to say here.
Chances are, if you’re asking yourself these questions, you probably don’t feel
that your hard work is being recognized or appreciated by those around you. If
your work is being respected and appreciated then there will be no need for
guilt or anxiety. However, if you don’t feel respected and appreciated, it
might be time to start looking elsewhere for a job—and remember that choosing
where and how much hard work we do should never cause us guilt or anxiety.
Am I getting paid enough for the type of job I am doing?
What is the going rate for a job? The general rule of thumb
is that if you feel like the position pays you less than minimum wage, then
it’s time to look for a new job. Or maybe you have considered turning down a
higher paying position because the job didn’t seem worth the extra money or
wasn’t what you expected. It's important that your paycheck meets your
expectations and worth at least minimum wage. In order to make sure that you
are getting paid enough for the type of job you are doing, look up similar positions
in other companies and see what they pay before accepting the offer. To save
time, there are websites that can help determine if you should turn down a job
or if it is within reason salary-wise.
Be Prepared for Tough Decisions
The toughest part of being an entrepreneur is when you need
to make tough decisions that could hurt your business. For example, you may be
offered a deal from a partner that’s too good to pass up. While it sounds
enticing, it might not fit with your business plan. In situations like these,
there are only two choices—accept or decline. There's no room for bargaining or
negotiating; if you accept, do so knowing that it was what was best for your
company at that time and be sure you're prepared for consequences. If you
decline, don't give in to guilt or pressure; instead, weigh your options and
choose wisely. Your business should never take a backseat to
anything—especially when you know it'll hurt its progress in the long run.
Acknowledge Your Mistakes
Sometimes you’re going to fail. Sometimes things are just
not going to work out. That’s okay. Everyone fails and people who make it have
failed numerous times along their way to success, but what sets them apart from
everyone else is that they did not let those failures define them. Admitting
your mistakes makes you look like a human being, and no one will respect or
trust a robot or someone with an inflated ego who thinks everything goes well
for them all of the time. It’s okay if you admit that you screwed up – people
appreciate honesty more than anything!
Use Other People As Motivation
It’s OK to use other people as motivation. A survey in 2007
revealed that 52% of Americans admitted to dropping out of college or
university due to financial reasons. Yet, what about all those people who made
it? They’re also using others as motivation – even though they probably don’t
think of it that way. Think about Bill Gates and Richard Branson. All three
dropped out at different points in their academic careers but went on go become
some of wealthiest and most successful entrepreneurs in history. Use them as
motivation for you next endeavor!
Don’t Ignore Problems, Address Them Head On
Working your way through a problem can be painful, but it’s
also an opportunity to improve. There’s a reason why certain cliches have stood
for so long—they’re true! Learning when to walk away from an endeavor isn’t
always easy, but ignoring problems will only make things worse. By taking a
step back and addressing whatever issue you’re facing head on, you give
yourself the chance to save face, learn something new, and avoid wasting time
on tasks that aren’t working. Plus, you and those around you will end up
stronger in the long run because of it.
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