Persistence, tenacity, determination are all admirable traits. Certainly no one wants to be a “quitter” yet there are times when sticking around is not the answer. Sometimes the most proactive thing you can do is to just stop what you’re doing and move on to something else.
Most people can tell when things aren’t working out, but then we pile on the excuses, until we can safely ignore the problem. Unfortunately, the more we surround the problem with excuses, the more the problem becomes the core of our lives.
Some of the tell tale signs that something isn’t working:
- Progress is slowed or stops all together
- The “simplest” of things seem like a struggle
- The fun is gone
- The grass starts looking greener on the other side
- Now just because some or all of the signs appear, doesn’t mean you should just up and leave it all. Before you run off, it’s important to weigh the “solution” of leaving to its alternatives. The grass isn’t always greener and some problems are better worked through than ignored.
What matters is when you and everyone else involved agrees that it’s best to go (such as a job that isn’t a good fit for you); or when the need to go far outweighs the opinions of others (such as relationships where an abusive partner doesn’t want you to go).
If and when you decide to move on, it’s important to make the move as quickly and as painless as you can.
Get yourself into a new “space” where things look and feel different. That will prevent old habits from corrupting the new life.
Set as many new goals as you can… as far reaching into the future as you can. There’s nothing like new hope to motivate you to move forward.
Don’t look back… at least not until there’s a lot of time between you and what you left. The distance will give you a renewed view on things.
Remember that you commitment is to you and your future. We all get lost sometimes. Moving on is not giving up, it’s adjusting your sails to put you on a better course.