Quitting or Sticking Using Your internalGPS 2

On my recent adventure to Bali we had a planned bike ride in the mountains. It was a beautiful sunny morning and even a bit cool in the mountain breeze. We put on our helmets and did a little test ride; it has been way too long since I had to shift gears on a bike. As it turns out that was not the problem; the squeezing of the brakes was the challenge. It was nice to go down hill but my hands are really out of shape (no squeezing at a keyboard). My hands were aching. The narrow roads were a bit rough at times and we were riding on the left with big vehicles passing on the right. I was going way too fast because my hands were throbbing and tired of braking. I was missing all the beautiful scenery because I was too nervous to take my eyes off the road.

After about an hour of this we had a break.  I thought we must be close to the end. “How much longer?” “An hour and a half” came the answer. My face must have said it all because our Balinese guide said that I did not have to continue. It only took me a few seconds to decide to quit. I was in the comforts of the van in minutes. My friend was thrilled to quit with me although she expressed that she felt a bit bad about leaving our other friend riding with out us (but she did have the family of four tourists from Holland with her; they were all bike owners).  I didn’t feel an ounce of remorse, only relief.

Why So Easy to Quit?

It was a “no brainer” for me to quit because it was obvious that I was not accomplishing my goal- Have fun and see the beautiful mountainous area of Bali. And it was obvious that sticking it out would only take me further from my goal. Thankfully, my ego or pride did not get in the way and shift my goal to something entirely different – Look good in front of my friends and strangers by showing them that I can finish the entire bike ride.

Recognizing When to Quit Vs. Stick

It takes some practice and a lot of attention to your internalGPS to assure you know when to stick it out versus quitting.  Ask yourself – Is this a difficult time and I need to stick it out in order to keep moving toward my goal? Or is it the wrong goal?

Seth Godin’s, “the dip”, is a wonderful little book all about quitting.  He explains that many people go through a dip and quit just before they are successful, while others are in a Cul-de-Sac and would be wise to quit. He states, “If pride is the only thing keeping you from quitting, if there’s no Dip to get through, you’re likely wasting an enormous amount of time and money defending something that will heal (pride) pretty quickly.” He gives examples of restaurant owners pushing forward long past when they should have closed and someone staying in a career that has become very unattractive and no fun.

If you are struggling then take a few deep breaths and ask, “Am I still on the right path or is my pride leading me along?”  Keep going and don’t quit if you are moving toward your goal but by all means feel that great relief of quitting if your pride is all that is at stake.

Sometimes it is hard to see it yourself; I’ve worked through the confusion about whether to keep going or quit with several of my coaching clients. Talk to a trusted colleague, friend or a coach if you are not sure about which way to go.

These pictures would not exist if I had let my pride keep me from getting in that van. What a loss that would have been!