Knowing When to Quit | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post

The One Sign It's Time To Quit

Whether it's a job, college, or a relationship, here's the one thing to look for if you're considering quitting.

128
The One Sign It's Time To Quit
http://positivefabulouswomen.com/asking-the-right-questions/

In This Article:

It's hard not to quit on a bad day, but really, that's the last time when you should give up.

We all have those days. The ones where nothing seems to go right and we fantasize about how much better our lives would be if we quit our jobs, dropped out of school, or broke up with a longtime partner, starting all over, falling for the promises of a fresh start.

While it may sound appealing to quit, say if you failed a class or are beginning to feel a little unsatisfied in a relationship, these times of frustration are not the moments in which you should seriously consider moving on – not even on the worst of days.

I learned this after recently attending a lecture given by McCree O'Kelley, an Assistant Professor of Dance at Kennesaw State University and a former professional dancer and Broadway performer. Amongst his discussion about the path of his personal career and various stories about his life, Mr. O'Kelley also revealed the secret he used when deciding it was time to move to a different dance company, end his performance career, and finally, when to become a professor.

Instead of giving up on a bad day, as Mr. O' Kelley explained, the only time you should consider quitting is when you experience the same desire to quit on a good day.

I not only found his advice to be easily applicable to essentially any decision in life, but I also found it to be incredibly liberating in two senses.

An integral part of human nature is rationalization. We rationalize every decision, from why we need to buy expensive clothing, to why we skipped going to the gym today. Admittedly we find it easier to rationalize our indulgences on a bad day as a form of self pity, explaining why quitting on a bad day seems so much more reasonable. However, on the good days, even when that desire still exists, we beat ourselves up for even thinking about quitting. Immediately, we are overwhelmed with all the rational reasons to remain in our current situations, whether its the feeling of needing the steady income or the fear that we would be throwing away a relationship we put a lot of work into. We feel it would be wasteful to quit, even if we aren't happy when everything is seeming going right.

However, in light of Mr. O'Kelley's advice, the responsibility of being constantly rational seems silly and depressing, in comparison to the happiness we can experience when listening to our hearts. Leaving something as important as a job or relationship behind can be scary, especially if we are unsure about our decision, however, by recognizing our desires to move on during the good days, we can find peace within our choices, prepared to find fulfillment elsewhere.

Not only can his advice reassure us we've made the correct decision, but it can also motivate us to work through the worst days, with the knowledge that we want to pursue the current path that we are on. Knowing that we don't truly want to quit on the good days allows us to use the discouraging times as opportunities to grow, leading us to the most rewarding feeling – the awareness of a newfound strength and ability to pursue through even the most challenging of days .

So, let us treat the bad days as practice and proof of our endurance, and the good days as guidance for our futures, knowing it's okay to give up -- but only when it's coming from our hearts, not the evils of a few bad days.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

73268
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

5447
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

8802
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments