Learning when to quit is an important life skill.

I thought about quitting my new business this week.

Procrastinating and a lack of progress made me doubt whether I'd made the right choice starting the business.

As entrepreneurs, we're full of ideas.

When we act on a new idea, it's fun, interesting, and exciting. The challenge is deciding when to push through the hard times and when to quit.

A lot of progress is made in the early stages of executing an idea. It keeps you motivated, engaged, and on task.

Then you reach a period between starting and mastering your new idea. This stage is a really long slog.

Seth Godin calls this stage 'The Dip'.

As I entered The Dip, I had two options:

Realize things aren't working, quit and focus my energy elsewhere; or
Deal with the tough times, push through to the other side increasing my chances of success.

I've quit 3 different projects in the last 12 months, all in The Dip. Quitting these projects allowed me to start my new business.

Quitting can be strategic.

It doesn't mean you're quitting your long-term strategy. You're just giving up on one particular tactic that isn't working out.

People are scared of quitting. It's acknowledging something doesn't work and needs to change.

It's easier to accept mediocrity than to quit.

Quitting and failure are not the same.

Strategic quitting is a conscious decision you reach after assessing the situation and your available options.

Failure means giving up. All of your resources have been exhausted and there are no other options available.

”Failing...means that your dream is over.”
- Seth Godin

After reviewing my situation, I came to the conclusion that my current challenges are well worth the potential rewards.

I decided to push through The Dip.