BE A SMART QUITTER

Quitting is a common part of life.??You try something.??It does not go as planned.??Maybe it even looks like a failure.??That hurts.??So, you quit doing that thing.??You cancel the project, stop trying a certain hobby, or cease attempting to build that new skill.??

Being a quitter isn’t always bad.??It’s bad if you quit a lot.??That suggests an underlying issue with decision-making, goal selection, a personality issue, or some other cause.??Quitting can also be bad if you never do it.??You are not perfect.??So, if you never quit, you’re clearly not challenging yourself very much.

I’m more interested in smart occasional quitting.??Achievers pursue multiple challenging goals.??Sometimes, we have to retrench, rethink, refocus, and update our plan.??If a certain project needs to cease, that’s not quitting.?In fact, it might be strategic wisdom.?

Occasional quitting of this variety, whether for an individual or a group, is only negative and stigma-worthy when two things are true.??

First, you fail to own the situation.??You did this.??Sure, other factors played a role, but you must take responsibility.??Acknowledge that this is on you.??No blaming.??No excuses.??Own it.??When quitting is rare instead of common – and you own it, that earns you understanding, if not respect.

Second, you fail to learn something.??Failure can hurt, but you must face it.??Don’t hide it or ignore it and act like it did not happen.??Actively dive in and identify something useful that helps you move forward.??Properly capture the learning in an effort to ensure you don’t make the same mistake twice.?

As with any object in life, quitting is what you make it.??Move past simple definitions and realize that quitting is not good or bad.??It depends.??Some people just can’t stick with things.??We sometimes call them quitters.??Others are brave chess players, learning, striving, adjusting.??We call them achievers.??

TODD’S TIPS

You are not locked inside the Matrix like a prisoner.??You are, however, very likely trapped inside several mind-numbing routines that you need to shake up.??Routines develop to give us efficiency.??Behaviors, often long sequences of behaviors, become scripts we unconsciously follow.??Over time, the added efficiency can harm effectiveness.??Turn your brain back on and target one or two routines to change.??Your morning routine, with whom you go to lunch, where you sit at the meeting, what you wear, etc.??Your brain will thank you in the form of more clarity and more creativity.??You’re welcome!

Monsters:??We have less than one month to go before the launch!??I’m planning a trip to NYC in May to support the effort.??I’ll see my friends at the LinkedIn office in the Empire State Building, and hopefully give a little talk (that might be called Dancing with Monsters…).??I’ll also be connecting with fellow LinkedIn Learning instructor Dean Karrel and we will both be going to find my book at the Barnes & Noble on 5th?Avenue in Manhattan (the bookstore that sells more business books than any other store in the US).??

Speaking:??To slide or not to slide???I have not used slides when presenting for many years.??I know this is not for everyone for a variety of reasons.??However, here’s a pro tip for you:??try it at least once or twice each year no matter what.??It will feel daunting, but you will learn a lot about yourself as a presenter that will make you and your slides more effective moving forward.??You will focus on your message, your delivery, and your audience in a new more focused manner.??Try it!

Courses:??Supper excited – my course Proven Tips for Managing Your Time passed 500,000 learners!??Four new courses are making their way through post-production as we speak – stay tuned.??Also, I receive a lot of feedback from you, and I want you to know I read it all and it’s appreciated!??This just came in from a user of my Management Tips course – so kind!??She said,”?I've just finished the course. Currently, I am studying MPA and working... I would like to thank you for the whole content of the course. It helped me a lot to define my professional reality, both the pros/cons of my profession and my inner feelings of my status quo. I do really admire your enthusiasm and the content of your lectures. … Honestly, I learned a lot and I am thankful for that.”

Until next time – go learn something, maybe help someone, or at least do something interesting!

Get your copy of Dancing with Monsters:??https://amzn.to/3tbdUTV

Watch Todd in action:??https://bit.ly/3EfcDSb

Book Todd:??https://bit.ly/3WHeRB0??

All my links in one place:??https://linktr.ee/drdewett.?