OK, so I just finished Seth Godin’s book, “The Dip” and I normally would not write another post about a book, but since it was so short a lot has stayed fresh in my mind. In keeping with the general theme of being the best, and knowing when to quit, his point on quitting before you start really stuck out. Knowing what the circumstances are for when you are willing to quit and when you are willing to quit are something that you must be aware of at all times, you must know what they are before entering into anything. Once you know what they are, stick with them at all costs. If you do not, you are only cheating yourself out of being the best, you are only distracting yourself from what it is you are truly trying to accomplish.

He references ultra marathoner Dick Collins and his take on knowing when to quit when he enters into any race. He identifies the conditions in which he is willing to quit a race, and when he finds himself in those conditions, it is an easy decision for him to make. Actually, he has already made the decision before he sets out on the race, it is simply identifying that those situations are occurring and the rest is simple. When looking at it from his perspective, it makes total sense. You certainly don’t want to be at mile 20 and have cramped legs, aching stomach and start the decision making process on whether or not you will quit. If you do, you will always talk yourself into quiting, because the temporary pain is greater than the reward at that time.

So whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish, know going into what it will take to force you to quit, and do not forget it. Once you find yourself in that situation, the next step has already been made, you quit and move on.