[Previously published in Asia Blogging Network.]
by Jennie S. Bev
Both Lance Armstrong and Seth Godin are superstars in their fields, who deserve their own sparkling stars on the Walk of Fame of Human Civilization.
Both names oftentimes trigger light bulb moments in others and are associated with redefining human beings’ capacity to be extraordinary. Lance has triumphed over deadly cancer and later proven his physical and mental stoutness as an athlete. Seth is one of the most notable contemporary thinkers and doers in our lifetime. Both have their own philosophy over what constitutes failing and quitting.
Lance Armstrong once said, “Live strong. Failure is not an option.” It may sound cliche, but this professional cyclist truly meant what he said, which explained how he won all those world-class titles. He made achieving looked effortless and remarkably easy to do. It is crystal clear that he does not believe in failing and the only way to be is winning.
Seth Godin, on the other hand, believes in quitting. In fact, he wrote in his latest mind-bending and thought-provoking tiny book entitled The Dip: A Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), “Winners quit all the time.” This adage contradicts Vince Lombardi’s, “Quitters never win and winners never quit.”
Apparently this bold bald guy believes in something quite astonishingly “taboo” among winners. Does it mean he believes in failure? If he does, does it mean he opposes Armstrong’s belief as he opposes Lombardi’s?
Winners do quit, but how, when, and why do they quit? That is the smart question to ask. I, too, believe in quitting. Quitting strategically, however, just like Godin believed. Throughout my lifetime, I have quitted so many times that I have lost count. In the first twenty years, I listened to others when it came to deciding when to quit or not. Apparently, as I had become the so-called “professional quitter,” it became second nature and it heightened my awareness on how, when, and why I would need to do it.
Seth said, “Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” Put it this way. Quit the things that will not make you a superstar. Quit often and strategically. However, before you do so, be aware of the circumstances that make you come into conclusion to quit. Learn from the lessons and use them in your future steps. Sharpen your intuition and mental alertness to see whether it is good timing to quit. When it is so, do it with courage and a smile.
Stick to your dreams. Create annual and five-year plans. Be consistent and take notes of what, why, and how things happened. After all, quitting is not a synonym of failing, as the latter is deleting your lifelong dreams. Quitting is merely changing tracks in life in order to find other tracks that would bring your visions closer to realization. It is an action, not a state of existence. It is a temporary thing based on the courage to be remarkable.
Superstars are visionaries and they know what it means to be remarkable. They detest mediocrity. They know where they are heading in life, pave their own pathways, and stick to their dreams. Along the way, they will quit so many times, but they will not fail themselves by losing their visions.
Welcome to the club of strategic quitters, the only club belongs to future superstars.[]
