Why to Quit?

As we go about our lives, we’re continually reminded of why giving up isn’t an option and what to do if you’re on the verge of giving up, but what if what you’re doing is consuming too much of your time and effort while providing no joy or satisfaction? What if it’s merely causing you mental anguish? 

We’re humans, with a mind capable of reasoning and deducing meaning from events, it is only reasonable that we might want to shift to another job, or that we feel like leaving a place after many years of service, and might wish to make a different decision right after forming one. It’s only natural for your preferences to shift from one thing to another. It is also just equally important to understand quitting should not be your option when things get hard or if you find the job boring, everyone does it from time to time, the key is to question and find reasons that are convincing to you. If you don’t find any, take different measures to make it exciting (get out with people; talk to them or do exciting things, set goals that suit you). It’s fine to quit when all a job is doing is draining your energy and offering a fraction of what you deserve. It’s also alright to have second thoughts. 

We keep hearing people imply things like “Never give up on your dream”, but why not? What’s a dream anyway? If not, a set of ideas that piqued your interest for the time being? Dreams can change as you grow and gain new perspectives, and there’s nothing wrong with it.  

Giving up is often associated with failure and defeat, but quitting a job after realizing how much it is consuming you rather than the other way round is a victory in and of itself. 

Sometimes we’re continuously prompted to choose a particular subject/area and pushed with statements like “you can do amazing in this field, make us proud”, in return, we start getting attached to the idea because it sounds wonderful at the moment, and the voices in our heads that advise us otherwise get fainter. As a result, we stick with it even when we don’t want to because we don’t want to upset the people who believe in us. We continue to struggle and never speak up, resulting in either a disruption of our mental calm or a sense of despondency and self-doubt. The trick is to ask yourself early on if this is something you really want to pursue, rather than something you’re being fed. 

You’re constantly told to “keep trying”, but just hang in there for a while, for “Every frozen corpse on Mt. Everest was once a highly motivated person.” Sometimes it’s better to give up on something than to persevere.

How can giving up benefit you?  

• It opens up doors to new possibilities– When you give up, you don’t just close a door; you open up doors to fresh possibilities and opportunities. You also acquire the opportunity to contemplate and choose something based on your previous outcomes and experiences.

• It also benefits your loved ones: when you give up something that was affecting your mental health, you gain a sense of liberation and feel strangely satisfied, and all those who were upset to see you struggle become happy as well. 

• Realization- Giving up opens your mind to a lot of things; it broadens your perspective, allows you to recognize and learn from your mistakes, and ensures that you don’t repeat them in the future.

In the end, it’s fine to give up when all a work or environment is doing is causing you distress, but the point of this article should not be misconstrued to mean that you should give up every time you are unable to do something. Instead, sit down and consider whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, whether things are working out or can in the future, and give up if that seems like the right decision after all. You don’t need anyone’s approval; if you think it’s right for you, just go for it.