Knowing when to quit
by
The news last week was of Lance Armstrong quitting.
“There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, “Enough is enough.” For me, that time is now…..” he said
In the last century, an American called Napoleon Hill wrote perhaps the most famous self help book called “Think and Grow Rich” that set up the western culture for success driven life styles He is also the originator of the saying: “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits”
This basis of this ideology is central to the ‘stunned response’ from supporters and detractors of Lance Armstrong. They could not figure out why a man who made a name for himself as someone who did not quit on anything – suddenly give up the fight. Did it mean that he is guilty? This is the question on everyone’s lips.
In the midst of all the fuss about the calamity of giving up the fight, most observers have missed the secret of quitting. You see, quitting means that you are now set up for a fresh start on something else. And I am sure that Lance Armstrong stumbled upon this truth as the fight against the USADA took the fun out of his life.
When something just is not fun anymore, it is better to just quit than to stay and fight. We all have only a certain allocation of energy at any one time – so the trick is to choose to spend that energy on something (even a fight – provided it is part of the fun) that is fun to do. Lance never quit riding a bike no matter how hard it became simply because it ultimately gave him pleasure. He certainly made the right move in quitting the USDA fight – if his aim is to pursue living his life the way he is destined to.
The funny thing is that ultimately, winners never quit. This is because they always pick the things that make their life fun. And no one ever quits doing something that gives them fun.