I’ve always had a negative connotation when it came to quitting. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I would always feel like if I quit it’s because I’m being lazy, or not committed or simply put – I am a failure. But boy is that wrong.
Quitting is something that while often frowned upon, should be done way more often. A lot of the time we stay in situations, jobs or even commitments that really don’t serve us because we’re afraid of the optics of quitting.
To be honest, this blog was inspired by an article I read about Mari Osaka who quit playing tennis because she simply did not enjoy it anymore. Reading that, I was like “damn, look how easy it is lmao” – because how many things have we forced ourselves to see through when we know that we absolutely do not enjoy it.
A lot of our lives we are so focused on staying committed to the things we start, which is by all means a good thing. However it means we aren’t always able to realise when it is okay to quit.
So with that in mind, here are some tips to help you realise when it is okay to quit.
1 It Lacks Inspiration + Fulfilment
I’ll be honest, once you start to feel stuck in something.. chances are it means its time for a change. When things, be it a job, a hobby or a side hustle, no longer fulfil you or inspires you, it can get super long. Now obviously not everyone does things for inspiration or fulfilment, and well, good for you. But for those of us who do, eventually you realise that these things never really met your need at all.. and that’s okay. When you start to feel like this (and take time to recognise that feeling), moving on is that best thing you can do for yourself!
2 It’s Negatives Outweigh the Positive
Now I know I cannot be the only one who, to this day, makes a “pros + cons” list about almost everything I plan to enter into.. (p.s. if you don’t, you should definitely try it!). Once you’ve got this list together and you take in how much of a negative impact this thing is having on you, that should be enough to let you know it’s time to quit. Your peace and well-being matters the most, so don’t ever feel guilty for putting yourself first.
3 It’s Not Good for You
So often, we stay in places, jobs, even relationships that we know aren’t good environments for us because we’re scared to change. We’re scared that we won’t find better, or even scared that what’s next might be worse. And that’s a natural reaction, but it’s not okay. You cannot live your life in fear and you owe it to yourself to feel the fear and do it anyway – imagine what you could be missing out on?
4 It’s Affecting How You View You
A lot of the time when we’re in a situation that’s toxic (or just plain bad for us), we don’t recognise how much it changes us and, more importantly, how it causes us to view ourselves. Now if you notice that while you’re in a certain environment your self-esteem is at its lowest, it’s probably best to quit that environment before the feelings get worse and more damage is done. Leaving negative situations and setting your boundaries often require you to quit, let go and love on.. and that’s not a problem at all.
Now this blog isn’t to enable you to be a person who just quits every-time they don’t get what they want, because that’s not how life works.. but, it is to inspire you that sometimes, when something no longer serves you or who you are growing into, it is okay to quit.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)