I encourage you to quit. | Cindy Jobs

Coconut oil.

Crossfit.

Electronic planners.

Professional Organizations.

The book Mindsight.

What do all of these things have in common? They are things that other people thought I needed to do. I tried them, then I gave up.

Just because it works for someone else, doesn’t mean it’s right for me.

I’m generally not a quitter, but sometimes giving up is the right thing to do.

When I’m struggling with trying to decide whether quitting is the right thing to do or not, I ask myself the following questions:

Will quitting affect others?
Will quitting stand in the way of future progress?
Will quitting affect my health or welfare?

Let’s look at each of the above scenarios to see how easily I could come to the quitting decision.

Coconut oil: There was a time when everyone and their brother was on the coconut oil bandwagon. I have a friend that swears the coconut oil extended his wife’s life (she suffered from Lewy Body Dementia). I jumped on that bandwagon with both feet for several months. Unfortunately, I started feeling horrible and I immediately gained a lot of weight. I quit.

CrossFit: According to many, CrossFit was going to be the answer to my exercise dilemma. I could get an extremely varied workout and have the social connection I craved. The problem was that I just couldn’t wrap my head around how throwing tractor tires around was the right exercise for me. I’m more of a treadmill and Zumba girl. I quit.

Electronic Planners: I’m a very tactile and visual learner. I still read paper books instead of using an e-reader. I like the feel of the paper and I’m comfortable with how the information gets into my brain. But, because so many of my respected colleagues and friends swore that e-planners were the way to go, I gave it a shot. And then I started not logging appointments into my calendar correctly and missed a few appointments and reminders. I was trying to do something that was inconsistent with how I worked. It worked for them, it didn’t work for me. I quit.

Professional Organizations: For years I belonged to a professional organization that had significant education on Chronic Disorganization and ADHD. I belonged to that organization because many respected colleagues said it was a powerful indication of my commitment to the ADHD community and an excellent marketing vehicle. For two years I received limited if any benefit from belonging. I found other places for education and not one client mentioned the organization to me. Two years of wasted dues and guilt about paying for something I wasn’t using. I quit.

The book Mindsight: I primarily work with people with ADHD. Understanding more about how the brain works is a passion for me. But, man, this book was tough. I only made it about 25% through and finally had to throw in the towel. If I was going to be a brain surgeon it may have been worth my time. I’m not. Quitting on Mindsight gave me the bandwidth to pursue more approachable educational materials. I quit.

Looking for more ways to help decide whether giving up is the right thing to do? According to HuffPost, there are seven major reasons that quitting is the right thing to do: