“Winners never quit and quitters never win”
It’s an old saying that I’m sure you’ve heard many times before. But just how much truth is behind those words?
When and how do you know if its the right choice to cut and run and throw in the towel?
There comes a certain point where decisions have to be made and white knuckling your way through something, just to say you’ve finished it, isn’t a badge of honor to be proud of.
Let’s get real about this shall we….
You are never ever going to follow every single path you commence to it’s end destination.
You change. Your life changes. Your goals constantly change.
Every step that you take, causes you to grow and stretch beyond your current boundaries. Sometimes those changes will almost predetermine your need to give in and throw in that towel in certain areas.
I’m not talking about finding an easy way out either. Those are the times you need to suck it up and dig a little deeper, or as we like to say in Australia…Toughen Up Princess.
What I’m talking about here is when you’ve truly changed directions. Where you’ve outgrown those goals whose shine has lost their lustre.
As entrepreneurs we need to be flexible and adaptable. Do you really believe that any history making entrepreneur has never ever chucked in the towel. Of course they have. But never without good reason.
It’s not a failure to give in.
It’s a courageous act, too often unrecognised.
There are considerations dependent on the gravity of the decision. You have to be damned honest in your assessment of why you’re closing the book on something.
Here’s a few primers to question that inner voice.
Would you be safer to give up?
Is it threatening to your life or livelihood, both yourself and/or to others. Then its a no brainer to shift directions.
Are other people depending on you?
Do you have contracts to fulfil, do you have employees that would be effected by the changes you make. These things have to be taken into consideration before making any rash moves.
Can you modify it?
Sometimes we look at things from an all or nothing perspective, and it doesn’t always have to be that way. How can you tweak, or modify what you’re doing to change the outcome.
Can the goal been met in other ways?
It happens occasionally that we get kinda a two-for-one deal. Achievements can come as a byproduct of action in another area. Can you create this duality for your goals.
Are you reconciled with your decision?
If you’re wrestling with the option to give in, it may not be the solution for right now. Inner conflict can often indicate unresolved issues with the decision. If you’ve not reconciled with your choice it may lead to regrets down the line.
Decisions are tough, and the bigger attachment you have to the outcome the tougher they can be. Be honest in your assessment. You can play headgames forever more and justify your argument no matter which side of the coin you’re backing.
When you get to the end of your path, are you going to be pleased with where you’ve arrived?
We all struggle with throwing in the towel, second guessing ourselves becomes part of our nature. I’d love to get your feedback on this in the comments below, and please share this post with your friends. I’d like that very much 
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No joke, Jackie …
We must be connected to the same wavelength.
At this very moment, I’m preparing a presentation I’ll be doing next month — an invitation from a group called “Coffee With Soul”.
I’ll be addressing entrepreneurs who need to recognize when something isn’t working and then determine if it’s time to change lanes.
Couldn’t agree with you more here …
” … white knuckling your way through something, just to say you’ve finished it, isn’t a badge of honor to be proud of.”
Your post is near and dear to my heart because I’m the guiltiest party of all when it comes to stubbornly banging my head against my computer screen for weeks or months … needlessly.
I’m one of those gals who insists on finishing things I’ve started. But sometimes there’s just no darn good reason to see them through to fruition. I’ve probably wasted more valuable time than the next ten entrepreneurs you’ll encounter.
Awesome post!
LOVE the saying, “Toughen Up, Princess”
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Hiten Vyas Challenged Me and I Said Yes
Hey Mel
Funny how the universe works. I’ve done my fair share of this over the years, but made a resolution to stop wasting precious time. There’s so much I want to do..sometimes there ain’t enough hours in the day.
I think its a matter of being concious about your decisions, question and self check constantly…it helps for me anyways.
Good luck with your speach…but I know you won’t need it. You’ll rock the room I’m sure of it!
Thank you kindly, Jackie.
It’s truly comforting knowing you, too, have done your fair share of wasting precious time … and very encouraging to hear you’ve resolved to shed that behavior.
Here’s to making choices and making changes!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Hiten Vyas Challenged Me and I Said Yes
Would help if I could spell speech too…Doh!
Must have been hungry and thinking of peaches when I typed it *thats my excuse and I’m stickin to it*
Jackie recently posted..Do You Feel Like A Failure When You Give In?
“Must have been hungry and thinking of peaches when I typed it *thats my excuse and I’m stickin to it*”
LOL!!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Hiten Vyas Challenged Me and I Said Yes
Totally agree, I never fail at anything…if I choose not to do something anymore it’s because it’s not working for me doing it that way, and I won’t spend any more energy fighting it! Too much emphasis in our society is put on things being ‘hard’ and a ‘struggle’ to reach the end. Life shouldn’t be like this, we are here to have fun! Would you choose that kind of life? Why??
Do things that bring you happiness; find ways to approach life that are joyful. It can be done, you just have to think outside the box and shake off some pretty engrained Capitalist views that our society has been built on. Oh…and accept that you will be criticised!
Cheers,
Wendy
Hey Wendy,
I think there comes a point where you decide you’re not going to “settle” Life’s too short. We have a finite amount of time at our disposal, and nobody knows exactly how much you’ve got.
Happiness, memories, connections, feeling fulfilled in what ever it is that you choose to do it’s what’s important. If we removed more of the must do’s, and focussed on the want to’s we’d be a much happier bunch I reckon.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and add to the convo, much appreciated
Good points Jackie and like your questions. I think we have all played those head games which can get very tiring.
Two questions I find helpful are to ask what is the worst thing that could happen and then what is the best thing that could happen. For some reason the questions help put the real issue into perspective.
Susan Oakes recently posted..Simple Product Strategy For Your Service Business
You’re right Susan, head games are tiring, and damned unproductive.
Good tips on the questions. Contrast gives you clarity which makes the decision easier.
Thanks for dropping in, your comments are always appreciated
Loved this Jackie – it’s so true.
I see a lot of people struggling to make it to the finish line because that’s where their business plan directed them, or their marketing plan – they bust their guts making it to the “end” because that’s what the plan said to do … when in reality, stopping, tweaking, or pivoting is crucial to taking things to the next level.
Over the years I’ve thrown in the towel countless times – often to pick up a nicer fluffier one
Ameena Falchetto recently posted..Transparency online. Where do you draw the line?
Hey Ameena
There’s a lot to be said for flexibility and adaptability in business. I’m sure that’s why so many go under because they’re incapable of moving to meet with shifts in the market or spot opportunities on the horizon.
Like you I’ve thrown in the towel many a time, sometimes I do wonder if I finish anything? …but that’s probably another story all together
Here’s to a never ending pile of warm fluffy towels at our disposal.
Thanks for dropping by
Jackie,
Your post came at the perfect time for me. Sometimes, we need to stop what we’re doing and ask ourselves if it makes sense. To not question our current strategies and goals doesn’t make sense. As you said “When you get to the end of your path, are you going to be pleased with where you’ve arrived?” That’s a great question. Thanks for the common sense inspiration.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The Rise of the Cyber Cold War
Great post! I think the question: Is it time to end this venture?…is the toughest question for most of us to deal with. If you end it too early you didn’t give it a chance and if you wait too long it will come back to bite you.
It is such a personal thing that no one else can really give you the right answer. It must be just one of those dilemmas in life that we have to work through.
Hey Suzy
You’re right. No one but you can make those decisions. Yes you can talk about them with others and try to get some outside perspective, but sometimes I think thats overrated. Deep down we instinctively know when to throw in the towel, its just a matter of how long we’re willing to drag out the process, or how unwilling we are to listen to that inner voice.
Thanks so much for dropping in and contributing your thoughts.
Hi Jackie this was a really great read. You know, on top of having to struggle with sticking to a plan or project, we have to face ourselves yes but the pressures of others also ads up and takes its toll. You know, we all have friends that say our ideas are not good and to not quit our day job. The pressure of quitting is all around us it’s nice to have a positive look at it from your perspective.
It wasn’t always easy building Blog Engage you know. In fact people were always telling me to give up, it wasn’t going to work bleh bleh. Don’t even listen to other people, good or bad, take what they say into consideration but still follow your heart.
bbrian017 recently posted..New Social Media Marketing Element for RSS and Marketing Customers
Hey Brian
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment, much appreciated.
Well meaning friends will shoot holes in your plans if you allow them to. It takes strength and courage in your own convictions to follow your own path, and nothing great is achieved without some hard damned hard slog.
If you continue to belive despite whats being thrown at you then you owe it to yourself to see the project through. The worst thing anyone can ever do is to continue something just to prove others wrong, or simply to “finish” something. That’s where we need to get honest with ourselves.
[...] that little bit of extra motivation I suggest reading this article from Jackie. Her article named, Do You Feel Like A Failure When You Give In? talks about some of the blogging elements least discussed such as failure and [...]