In recent years, following the spread of Positive Psychology, many gurus of Personal Growth have arisen who encourage us to never give up, not to stop working hard and not to abandon the path we have established. However, in the business world, a good entrepreneur knows that it is as important to identify the moment to quit as well as to know how to take advantage of the opportunities, otherwise time and money will be wasted.Even in everyday life it is important to know when to abandon as perseverance and stubbornness are divided by a very fine line and it is not always possible to distinguish them precisely, especially when emotions are at stake. There are some situations where giving up is the smartest alternative. Perhaps you have set yourself a goal that is now impracticable because circumstances have changed, or perhaps you have made a mistake in choosing your goal or it is no longer as interesting as it used to be. The causes are many, but the common factor is the same: it causes you more problems to persist rather than give up.
We do not give the best of ourselves if we do not consider that what we are doing is worth it. This means that we ourselves put a spanner in the works, that we deceive ourselves or refuse to face reality. In fact, the problem is that we sometimes give things an exaggerated value by thinking that something is more attractive than it really is and that we can't live without it.
We probably thought at first that our goal was important, but after a while, we are overwhelmed by the feeling of emptiness or perhaps we are overwhelmed by a hurricane of emotions and conflicts that discourage us. At that point, we can rationalize what is happening to us thinking that they are only obstacles along the way and that we must persist, but when the discomfort does not leave us it is perhaps time to stop and reconsider our purpose.
This decision is not easy to make because we feel emotionally connected with those projects or relationships that were important to us at the time and also because giving up implies, in one way or another, facing a certain degree of uncertainty. In fact, another of the causes that prevents us from abandoning a project or a relationship is the fear of accepting that we are wrong or the reluctance to change our plans for fear of the unknown. However, in some cases it is the smartest decision.
Signs that you should quit:
- You have continuous doubts about the project or the relationship, questions for which you do not find satisfactory answers.
- Instead of feeling satisfaction, the feeling of anxiety becomes more and more intense.
- As you advance you do not feel happy but you feel a feeling of emptiness.
- You move mechanically, out of habit.
- Taking stock you realize that the resources, time and energy dedicated to the project greatly outweigh the benefits and satisfactions.
- Your physical and mental health are starting to suffer.
As a final point, we should always remember the words of Henry Ward Beecher: "The difference between perseverance and stubbornness is that the former depends on a strong will, while the latter on a big NO".
- 17
