If you’ve seen many business quotes on motivation out in the world, chances are you’ve seen this one.
Winners Never Quit
and
Quitters Never Win
I disagree….no disrespect to whatever awesome human created these words and this nifty little phrase, but it’s just not true in my humble (very humble - ha) opinion.
Wait…what kind of LIFE COACH are you, Sasha, that you’re telling us to quit???
The real kind.
The kind of life coach that realizes sometimes life happens and we have to stop, readjust, refocus, and figure out the next best way to keep going forward.
If you are in a situation that is NOT working for you, and no matter how hard you work, no matter how much time you spend on it, no matter who else is involved….nothing is going to change for the better, it makes NO sense to keep going.
Doing that brings frustration, anger, and and a lack of trust in your own decision making and ability. I don’t know about you, but I had much rather focus my sights on a realistic goal and one that is going to make me feel better about myself.
This isn’t to say you should never set your sights on the big picture, or a challenge. I think putting your risks on the line, jumping into the ring of fire, and trying your hardest is something we all need to experience.
The difference is this: If you constantly feel like you’re failing in meeting your dreams and goals, you will eventually stop trying.
Let’s figure out a better way to reach those dreams and goals….a way that will work!
5 Steps to Quitting (anything) without Guilt!
Set a time to analyze what’s happening. If you feel in your bones, soul, mind, and gut that something is not working, then realizing that fact is the first step. Schedule time to really analyze what’s going on, think about the reasons you started and the original goal. Write down a pro/con list, and ask yourself if this is still what you want.
Give yourself permission to STOP what you’re doing. We sometimes continue on a path that is going no where because we have some unspoken idea that we absolutely cannot quit because “quitters never win.” (You already know what I think about that…) That’s it! That’s sometimes the ONLY reason we continue when everything else in the universe is telling us to quit.
Let go of the guilt that comes with quitting something. Let’s face it, we are trained to feel guilty when we quit something, no matter what the circumstances. We have been told over and over (and over) that we need to finish because that’s “just the way you do things”. But it’s not always the case. We have to be willing to let go of the guilt and move on and we do that by accepting that the original plan hasn’t turned out the way we wanted it to. It’s time to stop, access the situation, and create a new plan that makes more sense to you now.
Start over from a new place. You aren’t starting over from the beginning, you are starting over from where you left off. You have much more knowledge and experience under your belt from the time you spent learning the last time. Accept that new knowledge and let that be the starting place now.
Forge Ahead! With a new plan in place, the analysis from the plan that wasn’t working, your guilt firmly in place (somewhere else!) and the permission to do what works for you, go full speed ahead. But also remember you can reassess at any time, making a left turn, a right turn, or a detour to keep going in the direction you need to go. Don’t let the end goal be a destination if it isn’t where you want to go any more.
I like to think we’re all winners, no matter how we get to where we’re going. Let’s twist the phrase around a little bit and see if this works better for us:
Winners Know What Works
Yes, I think I like that phrase better!
with Glitter & Grace,
Sasha Gray, CMLC
Certified Master Life Coach
Certified Master Mindset Coach
Certified Business Coach
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