When I was in college, I worked my tail off to get into the music education program. Once I got in, I didn’t love it, it was kind of hard and within 2 weeks I quit. I have a B.A. in general music and though I am glad I have a degree, I am kind of embarassed about it. It’s sort of weird telling people I have a degree and then trying to explain what it really is. Is it in education? No… Is it in performance? No…
Pedagogy? No… It’s in general music. What the heck is that?
I quit my first job at Dairy Queen because I didn’t like the bad language, and I wanted more $.
I quit exercising because I got out of the habit.
I quit trying to keep my house immaculate because it just wasn’t working.
I quit my job at BYU catering because I wanted more hours and I was big and pregnant and felt they were discriminating against me.
I often quit just short of my goal because I don’t believe it can be finished at that point.
When is it okay to quit?
I know it’s not okay to quit because things are hard or because you don’t feel like doing what you have to do. But when is it okay? Is it ever okay to quit?
I have been in my business for 1 1/2 years. Most of the time I absolutely love it. But there are days when I don’t want to do it anymore. Days when my dreams are bigger than my willingness to do the work. Days when my goals and my effort don’t line up. Days when everyone says no. I could be at the verge of something really great and if I just push through it, I will probably overcome some of my stumbling blocks and release a giant within me.
Or I could quit and never know.
Or I could always just be on the edge of something awesome, and never be willing to go that extra mile.
When is it okay?
When is it okay to give up when it gets tricky, or throw in the towel on your dreams? When is it okay to decide that this isn’t working, so I am sure there is something else out there that will work, so I am going to try that instead. When should you stop the cycle, of moving from thing to thing to see what works and instead just commit to something and make it work?
Unless you are quitting a bad habit like smoking, quitting typically = failure. So when is it okay to quit? Is it ever?
Any ideas?
You basically said exactly what I felt several months ago. I didn’t know if I should quit my job as a hairdresser. We recently finished a salon in the basement, and business wasn’t what I had expected. But then another great opportunity came up, so I quit the hair, and am so glad.
Sometimes I feel like a big quitter with all the things I quit, but in most cases something better and more suited comes along. If you feel in your heart that you’re done, then I’d quit.. or atleast take a break. But then that’s advice from a quitter. haha.
And I too quit BYU catering after 2 weeks. I totally forgot about that job, until I read your post. So funny.
Comment by Andrea — April 1, 2008 @ 2:18 am
OH I have had many a days/months like this.
Comment by jd — April 1, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Quit is such a negative word. I prefer to think that we make choices in life that work best for us. If your business is not headed in the direction you want it to go, don’t look at it as quiting, but just taking a break to regroup. Stop the madness for a few days and then come back to it when it feels right. You are loved, special and important just the way you are!
Comment by Stephanie's Mom — April 2, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
I think it is okay to quit when your heart isn’t in it anymore. I agree, quit is such a negative term for something that we all do. We all need a chance to change. If we didn’t we would still be living with our parents, in the same first jobs we all started and all hated.
I remember when you worked at DQ! I don’t think I realized that you quite because of language. Yay for you!
Comment by Amber — April 3, 2008 @ 4:12 am