The Problem with Persistence: When the Key to Success Is Knowing When to Quit

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"There are many great things to be said about persistence," writes Christian Finn in this Facebook post "It can often take you further than genius, education, or talent."

But not every roadblock is worth pushing through. Finn offers the example of his own futile attempts to increase his deadlift max. He’d already pulled 2.5 times his body weight—well beyond the point when he was objectively strong. And he had no intention of becoming a competitive powerlifter.

His quest gave him one injury after another, until he finally stopped doing barbell deadlifts altogether. It’s a prime example of why, paradoxically, persistence can often take you farther from your goals.

The takeaway: Finn endorses the view of author and marketing expert Seth Godin, who says the most successful people are the fastest to give up when they see a new venture isn’t likely to work out.

"Persistence in the face of difficulty is highly valuable when the road from A to B is long and hard," Finn writes. The trick is recognizing when it’s better to cut your losses and find a better use for your time and resources.

Quote of the Day: "There’s no glory in failure. Nobody wants to fail. A guy who was branded a serial entrepreneur told me, ‘I’m only a serial entrepreneur because it hasn’t worked out. Nobody wants to be a serial entrepreneur.'" —Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp cofounder 

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Jonathan Goodman is the founder of the Personal Trainer Development Center, the largest independent community of fit pros in the world. He’s also the founder of the first-ever certification for online fitness trainers, the Online Trainer Academy. Originally from Toronto, Jon travels the world with his wife and young son in the winters.