Why quitting actually leads to success
Do you find yourself always wanting to accomplish something but never, ever achieving it? You feel like it’s just beyond your grasp. You believe you can do it. You’ve seen others do it. So why can’t you achieve it? Maybe you need to quit.
Wait. I’m supposed to be encouraging you, right? I’m supposed to tell you that you can do everything you put your mind to! You’re strong and smart and brave and you can conquer the world! Yes, but not all at the same time.
Quitting doesn’t sound empowering. But have you ever tried to quit something??? It takes guts! Quitting can be scary as hell! Quitting takes conviction and strength. To quit something draws a line in the sand and that is exactly what you need in order to be successful.
Here’s the thing – you can do anything that you put your mind to, but if your mind is divided amongst too many things, you can’t add another one to the pile and expect to be successful at it. In order to achieve something that has been out of your reach you must let go of something. You need to “edit” your life just like a good writer edits their work.
“Choosing the priority is as important as working on it.”
If you want to lose 50lbs you may have to quit drinking wine or beer every night. If you want to write a book, you may have to quit scrolling social media for 3 hours a day. If you want to have less stress and anxiety, you may have to quit worrying about what other people think. You may have to quit multiple things in order to add the one very good and very important thing. You may have to quit trying to please people and quit being on the board of that organization and quit eating that snack (which may or may not be the equivalent of half your daily caloric needs) at 11pm every night in order to move forward into your power. Saying no as scary as it is, is also empowering. It reminds you that you have choices - that you are not a victim of life. And realizing that you are master of your circumstances means that you can cause the change that you want.
Quitting is usually considered a negative thing but it really should be celebrated more. I spent some time this summer quitting some things and I have a new-found appreciation for it! I quit covering up my pain. I quit pretending like I was fine. I quit social media and all marketing efforts. I quit worrying about making money. Was it easy? Definitely not. It took conviction and discipline and grace. But, I’m grateful for what it’s allowed me to add. I’ve added family time. I’ve added deep connection with my husband. I’ve added time to heal.
I encourage you to meditate on this idea of quitting. Deciding to quit something doesn’t usually strike you in a moment but as you plant the thought, be mindful of the things in your life that cause irritation or burden or feel in conflict with what you really want or who you really are.
Decide what you really want to achieve right now (pick one thing)
Ask yourself what you need to quit in order to achieve that one thing (don’t let fear block your judgement!)
Decide who needs to be informed that you’re quitting. If no one else is involved, tell someone close to you that you are quitting, like telling a spouse or friend that you’re going to stop making negative comments about your body or stop staying up late every night.
And then, follow through. Eat that frog. Confront the “NO” that has to be said in order for you to say “YES” to your dreams
