How do you know when you should keep working at something, and when
you should just give up and call it a day?
Whenever you start a new project, it’s usually very exciting. It’s
fun, it’s new, and it’s a lot easier to stick to. After awhile,
however, you may start to lose interest in the project. When it
starts to get boring, it gets a lot harder to stick with.
Many times, if you keep working at it, you’ll break through it.
But sometimes it won’t any better, and even if you try and try,
your situation might not really improve too much.
Many people might tell you to keep pushing no matter what – that
it’s the only way to be successful. That’s not always true. Smart
people know when to escape those dead ends and walk away. You
shouldn’t always keep working at something with blind faith,
because if it’s going nowhere, it could be preventing you from
realizing success.
Yes, winners do quit, sometimes, but they quit when it makes sense
to quit. Here are a few tips you can use to decide tell when you
should quit and when you should keep pushing with a particular
project.
First, ask how long you’ve been at it. If you’ve been going quite
awhile, giving up might be a waste of the work you’ve already put
in. Then again, if you’ve stuck to something for a very, very long
time and you’re not seeing any results, it might not make sense to
keep going.
Next, ask yourself if the potential rewards are worth it. If
you’re really working hard to carve out a chunk of a very tiny
niche, maybe it really isn’t worth it. Will that tiny niche ever
be worth the amount of work you’re putting in?
On the other hand, if you’re already making some headway into a
very large market, giving up might be a bit premature. Why give up
on potential future earnings when you may already be halfway there?
Finally, ask yourself if it’s really worth it, not strictly in
terms of money, but also in terms of quality of life. You’re the
one putting the time, effort, and money into a project. If the
potential reward doesn’t seem worth the hassle anymore, maybe it
really is time to give up.
By taking the time to consistently evaluate your progress and
answer these questions with objectivity, it’s easier to stay on
track to success. You might even benefit from asking friends and
family to occasionally help you with these questions… their answers
may surprise you.
