@Ali. You’re right about hanging in until you reach a milestone. Everybody says ‘if you don’t want to do something, don’t do it,’ but that’s a tricky statement.

Even if we don’t want to do them, some things are worth doing… especially things like college courses or cutting your *losses* and turning that ebook into a series (both of which I’ve actually done).

@Natalie. Thanks for stopping by. As a musician myself, I can only what a difficult decision leaving the stage must’ve been. But if we don’t change, we not only don’t learn, we stagnate.

And what you say here is really important. For some people it can seem easier to stick with the pain of awful, eye-gouging misery than have to face the pain of change. But it’s when we change that we truly grow.

And who says saying “no” to something has to be permanent anyway.

Great post Seth.

Natalie

I won a whole £30 at a casino once by knowing when to quit

I love the way you put this: “Gaining freedom from something that’s changed from a cute, cuddly new thing to a snarling, snapping, biting pain in the ass.”

– YES! Exactly! Sometimes, it’s good to stick with commitments; sometimes, you just need to cut your losses and get the hell out before it drives you slowly insane.

All I’d add to the “Strategies for Quitting” is that sometimes it’s worth hanging in there till you can reach a particular milestone. E.g. maybe finishing a college course and getting the credits, or turning a part-written book into a series of articles. It may not be much fun, but you’ll actually get *something* back for the time spent.