Winners Do Quit Sometimes

Despite the stigma around "quitting," winners often walk away and it's an important quality of good, confident leaders and entrepreneurs.

Nobody likes a quitter.

That’s what I was told from an early age. The underlying lesson was a good one — life is full of challenges and sometimes painful. Getting “through” the pain means you’ll come out on the other end better for it. You’ll be more assertive and, perhaps, more successful at whatever you are doing. If you give up during the middle, then you’ll never know what could have been.

Despite the truth in that philosophy, when it comes to business or even some creative ventures, there are times when throwing in the towel is the most prudent thing to do for you and your experience,

As entrepreneur-minded individuals or those who like to create and innovate with their ideas, we try many things. Some of these work and some do not. Some of them have a natural life span. Others eat you up and take too much of your time and energy — even if they work.

How do you know whether it’s time to quit your thing without feeling like you failed?

1. How much are you enjoying it? Health and happiness are life’s greatest gifts, and you shouldn’t risk them for something you don’t like doing. If you can’t derive professional and personal satisfaction and happiness, it’s time to walk away.

2. Follow your instinct. Too often, we don’t listen to our instinct when we should. Even if you like what doing or your project, business, or art is doing well, listen to it if your gut tells you it’s time to do something else.

3. Ask: what have I learned? You know it hasn't been a waste if you can walk away from something with great life/career lessons. Too often, we take quitting as a failure when it is not. The importance of changing course when you know it can lead you to your ultimate goal is vital to future success. It’s a part of a process we must commit to along the way.

4. There's something else I want to do more. If you're going to follow another business, project, or passion, quitting makes sense. You have only a finite amount of time. Follow that passion and make an educated choice to do something more closely aligned with your vision for future success.

Before quitting something, consider these points and you’ve weighed the decision with the thought due to it.

Whether you’re exiting a successful company, leaving a toxic environment that stifled your growth, or ready to challenge yourself in a new direction, quitting isn’t a failure. Quitting makes an informed decision to focus and pursue other worthwhile goals and achievements.