May 8, 2011
-
Quit While You're Ahead
I've been thinking about this phrase lately. I met an old acquaintance a few days ago who frequented a forum I wrote on a lot in the late 90's. He told me I taught him a lot and enjoyed my writing there. But also, I remembered how long it took me to quit that particular forum. How I stayed there when I should have done something different, just because I was used to it and there was no big reason to quit.
I'd like to change my life around so that I quit when I'm ahead. Imagine being able to end relationships when they are just mediocre, not utterly soul-sucking, or switching jobs when you realize that you are not motivated, not when you are fighting depression and wishing for an exit. That would be a lot better, right? Oh, to quit while still being ahead, before you pay a dear price and have no choice when to quit. Yes, quitting with options has its own problems. One can quit too early and miss out on something good. But sometimes it's not quitting, it's fleeing for something better.
Thoughts?
Comments (13)
My best friend, who is my source of conventional wisdom, once told me that things never end on a high note. People don't quit until they have a reason to.
I've had a channel on youtube where I joined the discussions about theism/atheism/politics for about two years. I gained a lot of followers, some who told me they liked me. Now that I've quit, I realize I should have quit sooner; I kept the channel up just because I liked the people who liked me back or because it feels good to open up your inbox and see people engage with your ideas. That stuff smokescreens the reality that you're not actually creating substantive change. So yeah, I think quitting while you're ahead, when you know that what's keeping you there is just fuzzy feelings, is a good thing. That said, we shouldn't quit on something just coz it's hard, if we do know that it's necessary and that it matters on the long-run. But it's really hard to tell either way.
I hope you're not talking about Xanga.
Quitting while ahead sounds like a good idea, but how do you know when things will go downhill? Maybe there's LOTS of uphill to go, but someone doesn't want to risk it, so s/he quits early...we'd never get anywhere in life.
Well, I'd say if you've got something better to do, then do it. Otherwise, just improve what you're already doing.
I'm good at quitting.
It can be hard.
There are times to make such exits, but other times not. As we begin to maneuver circumstances to protect ourselves, to minimize or avoid failure, conflict, heartache, depression, etc., we may very well end up short-changing ourselves. Some of the most fruitful times of growth happen as a result of such circumstances ~ James 1:2ff.
I think our society has too many quitters already.
Personally, I can't do it. I can't quit while I'm ahead because I'm never sure that I am ahead. Its not like I can read the future and predict what's going to happen. I stay put...partly because I'm chicken, mainly because I believe that something good might come of it
quitting while ahead is great and all, but how do you know when the tide is about to turn? how do you really know when it's time to quit? what if you do quit while ahead, but miss out on years of being ahead because you quit too early?!?!
a piece of HR wisdom ha
if the group has no definite ending date and people are always coming and going, these things are in and of themselves a kind of trauma...and must be addressed and coped with as surely as any other serious issue.
dunno if it really applies here, but it's just something your post made me think of.
I quit Xanga many years ago for the first time and yet I am here many years later...I guess sometimes it is good to go back. I didn't express this idea clearly, but this explanation will have to do.
If you leave just because it starts to get difficult, you never learn to work hard to make something better. Leaving a girlfriend or any situation just because it isn't as easy as it was at the beginning is a pretty slippery slope.
But I do agree never to let it go so far that there is no way out.
M
Comments are closed.