No one likes being a quitter. After all, successful people don’t quit, right? They stick with their decisions and follow their commitments through. They remind fixated on long, cherished goals, whether those goals are productive or not. If you still think that quitting is inherently bad, then this blog is for you.
Perseverance has received a lot of support from a variety of schools of research. Having the capacity to stick to a task is a crucial factor in explaining the success of everyone, from kids in the national spelling bee to recruits at West Point to Ivy league undergraduates. But sometimes, people will persevere when they have nothing to gain, continuing with worthless tasks that are both uninteresting and unrewarding, which ultimately wastes their time and their talents. So, when does someone decide to quit?
It Is Making You Unhappy or Worse Off
Let’s take a look at the sunk cost effect, which is our general tendency to continue an endeavor or continue consuming or pursuing an option when we’ve invested time or money or some resource in it. The effect becomes a fallacy when it begins pushing you to do the things that you making you unhappy or worse off. For example, the longer you’ve been together with a person or working in a business, the harder it is to end things. In order to quit successfully, you’ve got to make sure you’re not falling for the sunk cost fallacy.
If Your Values No Longer Align With Your “Why”
Every worthwhile endeavor will have its challenges and setbacks. In testing times, it can be easy to get fixated on how dire things are and ignore why we pursued the project or said yes to the job offer in the first place.
Understanding the “why” and examining whether or not that aligns with your role may allow you to make a more rational decision on whether or not you should stay or go. If you find that what you are doing still very much aligns with your why, it may be a sign that the challenge is just something you need to weather. On the other hand, if you are dissatisfied because your job is not aligned with your why, then quitting may be the smarter decision.
If You Are Staying for the Wrong Reason
If your decision to stay is based on fear rather than actual enjoyment or fulfillment, you’re probably in it for the wrong reasons. Are you afraid to hurt someone’s feelings? Are you staying solely out of a sense of responsibility? Are you afraid to admit you made a bad choice, or are scared to start over?
Fear is never a good reason to do something or not do something because it clouds our judgment and keeps us in a constant state of anxiety and fear. Get to the bottom of what your reason for staying is, and if it comes from a place of egoic vulnerability, it could be your sign.
If You Have Stopped Growing
In life, you are either growing or staying in place, which could feel like dying (as dramatic as it sounds). Whether it is your business, your relationship, or your health, it must be in a constant state of growth, even if the growth is small. Growth doesn’t have to be huge, but as long as you’re able to navigate the plateau in a healthy way and keep growing, you’re on the right track.
You’re Consistently Experiencing More Frustration Than Reward
In any situation, you have to take the bad with the good. If what you are experiencing is overwhelmingly negative for a long period of time, though, you have to consider leaving or taking some kind of radical change. One unmistakable sign that you are feeling more frustration than reward: You breathe a sigh of relief and your life feels instantly better with the mere thought of quitting.
If Anything, Do it For Your Health
Being unable to let go of cherished but unachievable goals, or sticking with a job that is unrewarding, can be really bad for your mental and physical health. People who struggle to disengage with impossible goals tend to feel more stress, show more symptoms of depression, are plagued by intrusive thoughts, and find it difficult to sleep.
Being fixated on unachievable goals is also related to high levels of cortisol and higher levels of C-reactive protein, which is linked with inflammation in the body.
When it comes to quitting, it is good to know that quitting doesn’t make you any less successful or worthy, as a matter of fact, it can be a very valuable skill to have. To view more college information, tips, and hacks, visit our webpage to access our blog and more information about our fraternity chefs. Give us a call to learn about how to get us on your campus!