Five Times it Actually Pays to Be a Quitter

No one likes a quitter is a statement that I find a bit less than truthful. Certainly that does not apply to every situation. No one cares for someone who up and quits without notice, someone who does not complete something they promised or someone who only does the job halfway, but sometimes a quitter is exactly the kind of person the rest of the world does love. When you find yourself in a situation wondering if quitting is right for you, ask yourself whether or not you would appreciate someone for quitting something like what you’re considering. Would you admire that person? Would you look down on them? Would you be impressed or disappointed? Oftentimes these situations require a simple step back and a different viewpoint, and that’s what it’s going to take to help you realize that a quitter is not always someone you should be hard on. Here are five quitters we think are cool.

Quitting While You’re Ahead

When you’re ahead and life is going well, sometimes quitting is the way to go. Sometimes you have to stop yourself and realize that by quitting right now while you are ahead, you are making the best decision. For example, if you’re 30-years-old and you’ve amassed millions running your own business but you’re stressed, you have no time for your family and you aren’t enjoying life, it might be time to scale back and take that early retirement if you really want to enjoy things a bit more.

Quitting Smoking

No one likes a smoker, so by default everyone likes a quitter in this situation. Do we really need to elaborate? It’s going to kill you. It’s bad for you. It’s gross. You smell awful. You have bad teeth and your hair is never going to be the same again. Did I mention you’re aging your skin and going to look years older (and more like a handbag than a person) in no time? Also, did I mention it’s going to kill you?

Quitting Wasting Time

We all waste time; but we can quit. We can quit checking our phone every time it buzzes. Put it away and check emails at designated times. Forget the text message responding right away. Put the phone in your bag, stop checking emails, stop playing on social media, stop wasting time. It’s not getting you anywhere, and it’s not going to do you any favors.

Quitting Making the Same Poor Decisions

Doing the same thing you did yesterday and the day before and the day before and expecting different results is the least intelligent thing most people do. So stop it. If it’s not working for you, quit and try something new. It’s not that difficult.

Quitting a Bad Relationship

A good relationship is one with compromise, happiness and without fear. It’s one where you don’t worry. It’s one where you don’t question your partner’s words, what’s behind them and what you might think they mean. It’s not one that makes you feel bad in any way. It always makes you feel good. No, it’s not perfect and no it’s not without arguments and compromise. But it’s not one with pain and confusion and sadness and poor treatment. Get out of bad relationships that aren’t doing you any favors.

Photo by Jennifer Polixenni Brankin/Getty Images