Quitting

“Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing 

that we see too late the one that is open.” 

~ Alexander Graham Bell

Deciding to quit and then actually quitting can be a tricky business. Yet in a world in which most of us overcommit or overstay, quitting is a necessary skill. 

Perhaps we have overstayed a dysfunctional relationship; a job that offers limited advancement or learning; or an environment, city or location that doesn’t support our growth. We may even have unhealthy behaviors that have been with us too long.  

Why then don’t we quit? In our society, quitting is not viewed as strength. It’s often viewed as failure or weakness. We may also view ourselves as failures for wanting to quit; or our fears, real or imagined, get in the way of quitting and moving forward.  

We need to get better at quitting.

According to podcaster Hank Fortener: “We need to practice the art of quitting. We need to view quitting as graduating to something better suited for us right now, opposed to leaving something behind or pulling away.”  

Reframing a decision to quit from negative to positive; i.e., from divorcing to graduating to a new level, opens new possibilities and helps us make the quitting move. It supports the decision with less resistance and pessimism, because we’re focused on moving towards something that is a better fit right now.  

A regular practice of quitting something, however small, is a great practice to hone.  In doing so, we gain the necessary skill to quit something of greater importance when it matters most.