Day 024 — It’s ok to quit
There is a difference between quitting and knowing it’s not for you.
Just yesterday I was reminded by a loved one of a common pattern that I have repeated in life.
‘I see you continually get so focused on something for 6 months, and then you just stop.’
It wasn’t hard to hear, but I felt a defensiveness arise within me. I was conscious of how I felt in the moment, and it was easy to remain present and calm (I would count this as a small win hehe). I’m growing, woohoo.
Repeating pattern or conscious choice
I thought about this afterwards and how my ‘lack of commitment’ is a repeating pattern in my life. It’s definitely a clear pattern, but how we view this can vary depending on the glasses we wear.
This is where the ‘Yin & Yang of our self limiting factors’ comes into play. Whilst commitment is a limiting factor in my life, it is also a great advantage in trying & discovering the endeavours we wish to pursue. It’s important for me to always be on the lookout for when my limiting beliefs are sabotaging my efforts, and when it is actually a case of “this isn’t the right fit for me”.
Up until now, I truly believe that I had not found an endeavour worth pursuing. However, every learning along the way has been valuable and contributed massively to my ability to pursue my current dream to build a software company. For instance, I would not be effective in creating a mobile app without first learning and honing my skills in both design and development. Both key factors in the success of popular apps — how it functions and looks is crucial.
An interesting read
As I mentioned earlier, yesterday I was reminded of my limitation and lack of commitment. It made me think of an awesome book Range by David Epstein. Here is a synopsis:
Range, a book about the value of being a generalist rather than a lifelong or career-long specialist, argues that many of the most effective people in elite professional fields (such as sports, art, and scientific research) succeed not despite the fact but because they find their way to that particular field after pursuing other endeavours first.
I would consider myself a generalist (and that’s ok). Of course I must focus and commit (eventually) if I am to create something amazing. Though I would say it’s more important to first know what it is that you want to commit to.
So not only shall we ask, “Am I committed?”
But also, ‘How do I find the thing that I want to commit to?’
Or more specifically, ‘Can you know which flavour of ice-cream is your favourite without first trying all the flavours?’
