Quitting for Good
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
About a year ago, I read a little book by a big thinker, Seth Godin’s The Dip. A principal idea of the book was that it pays to be the best in the world at something (however narrowly you define “best”, “world”, and “something”), and in order to do that, you should be prepared to quit other things so that you can focus your time and resources on what you want to be best at.
While “quitting” often carries a negative connotation, in the context of serving a higher goal, it can be the right thing to do.
Lately I’ve had to quit some things that I really enjoy and feel strongly about to serve the higher goal of being the best husband and father, if not in the world, than at least within the reasonable expectations of my family. I was balancing several important and rewarding (to me) responsibilities before the baby came along. Now that we have a new, beautiful, healthy, and incredibly demanding member of the family, and now that we need to start preparing for an interstate move (stay tuned!), I’ve had to quit most of them.
I quit volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House. It was an awesome experience, one I hope to return to one day, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a regular volunteering gig. I completed my initial six-month commitment, the end of which I knew would coincide with the birth of our daughter.
I quit training and fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training Century Ride in Lake Tahoe this summer. The event comes when we’ll likely be in the middle of a move, and as I don’t own a bike, I can’t afford the time or the expense of starting a whole new sport now. It’s a great cause that I’d love to get involved with again someday soon.
I haven’t quit my Beer Judge Certification Program class, but I’ve had to skip several sessions, either to keep up with my job or help out with the baby. The instructor has been gracious and generous enough to let me stay in the class and sit for the exam in April, so with a lot of studying (and sampling!) I may become a certified beer judge yet, despite my lackluster attendance.
All this is to say, if you feel like you’re spreading yourself too thin to give your best in all the things that are important to you, don’t be afraid to prioritize your commitments and quit a few that aren’t at the tippy-top of your list. Quitting isn’t always a bad thing…take smoking, for example. Don’t be afraid of appearing inconsistent or inconsiderate; just keep your higher goals in mind. Remember: Quitting one thing may be necessary to be the best in the world at something else.
What’s something you loved that you quit to focus on something else?
This morning on the Today Show I saw a very informative segment on how to barter. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about highly paid people in expensive suits under studio lights giving me tips on how to participate in a prehistoric economy gives me a whiff of the Next Great Depression, 21st-century-style.