Why Quitting Is The Best Thing You Can Do
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Why Quitting Is The Best Thing You Can Do

Be a smart quitter, and know when to quit.

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Why Quitting Is The Best Thing You Can Do
nataliedee.com

I am a firm believer in cutting your losses and giving up. Quitting is fantastic most of the time. I'm a seasoned veteran quitter. I've quit gymnastics, ballet, tap dancing, chorus ... I've quit an incredible amount of activities in my 18 and three-quarters years of life.

Do I regret quitting these things? Nope. I know that even if I had stuck with such activities, they would not have benefited me. Of course, I can daydream about being the star of "Swan Lake" or singing on a Broadway stage, but I know neither of those things would've happened whether I stuck it out or not. I wasn't happy doing those things, and I would've quit them eventually. I saved my parents a ton of money and myself a ton of time.

I was totally kidding myself when I joined most of those things. I don't have the ideal flat-chested and swan-like figure of a ballerina or the strength and drive of a gymnast. I can't really sing, and I hated tap dancing more than anything. "But, you could have had those things if you didn't quit!" you may say. "You could've been the best gymnast or dancer of our generation!"

All lies.

Whether I trudged through the hobbies or not, I didn't have that fire and love for any of those things. Let me tell you something: If you're not 100 percent into something, it's OK to quit. Give things a chance, but know when to quit them.

Everyone's parents most likely pushed their child into playing soccer or going to dance or gave in to your pleas begging them to let you join; it's like a right of passage into adulthood. Of course, sometimes you need to stick it out. Sometimes you need to fight the urge to quit and just power through, like with guitar lessons or something you mildly enjoy or know you'll thank yourself for later.

If you see this activity benefiting you in the future somehow, I advise you stick with it. Not that I'm one to be giving advice on not quitting and sticking with activities. Not that I'm one to be giving anyone advice on anything, but trust me, doing something you're not super-passionate about isn't going to get you anywhere.

When you find something you're passionate about, that's when you don't quit. If you fall in love with basketball, don't quit. If, like me, you're in love with writing, do not quit! Know when to quit and when not to. If you joined something for the cool uniform (like me joining ballet) or because it looks cool on TV (like me in gymnastics), but find that you don't love it and give it your all, why not just quit?

You can roll your eyes and shout, "Quitters never win, and winners never quit!" but what, please tell, are you winning? Are you winning by making Dad proud by playing football when you can't stand it? No, you're losing because you're wasting your time being unhappy. Are you winning by dancing in the recitals and spending every afternoon in a dance class that you're indifferent about? No, I'm the quitter who is winning because I'm spending the time you're spending on a hobby you're "eh" about while I am doing something I like.

Save yourself money and time and cut your losses. If it's not your passion, it's not going to become a passion by you trudging through the activity for years. Just sayin'. Being a quitter is sometimes the best thing you can do.

Just don't become a quitter at everything. Find some things you're in love with and stick with them. "Don't quit on your daydream" or whatever that quote is. Quit the dance team that you don't really like instead.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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