Rules for Quitting

When people quit, it’s not usually because they’ve run out of resources or because they’ve faced an insurmountable obstacle. It’s because they were mentally defeated. The worry, fear, and rejection all became too much to bear.

In Seth Godin’s book The Dip, he quotes ultra-marathoner Dick Collins on persevering through difficult races:

“Decide before the race the conditions that will cause you to stop and drop out. You don’t want to be out there saying, ‘Well gee, my leg hurts, I’m a little dehydrated, I’m sleepy, I’m tired, and it’s cold and windy.’ And talk yourself into quitting. If you are making a decision based on how you feel at that moment, you will probably make the wrong decision.”

We have to do the same thing. We have to make rules for ourselves, conditions for quitting. We have to decide now before we go any further so that when times get hard (and they will), we can endure through them.

We have to give our will a chance to stand up to our whim.

Comments

[Tony McCollum]

Great quote. Great post.

[Sam Frederick]

Perfect timing on this post. Thanks for sharing.

[Jason Roberts]

Do you hit this in your book? I'd be curious about how others are determining their rules/conditions for quitting.

[Mike O'Dorney]

If you set your rules, and have an accountability partner(s), they won't let you quit, without following your own "rules".

[Ben Arment]

i have a whole chapter on the concept that church planting is the only endeavor with a built-in exit strategy. But I advocate shifting from "planting" to "cultivating" when building a church is difficult

[Ted]

Great stuff, Ben.

[Daniel Decker]

Good word.

[Katie]

I needed to hear that today, Ben. Thanks!