Life is Too Short for Opportunities That are no Longer Worthwhile
Session resources based on the book Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away By Annie Duke.
Key Takeaways
We often celebrate GRIT over QUIT, which makes it harder to learn from people who have quit something.
If chances are slim things will go your way, quit.
We like quitting when we are ahead and avoid risk. We dislike quitting when we are behind and seek risk.
We often make decisions based on resources already spent.
Focus on progress not end goals.
We prefer the status quo and value things we own.
Inaction is easier than action.
Sometimes we need to change our identity in order to make other changes.
Being forced to quit forces us to explore.
Exploration helps us diversify interests, skills, and opportunities.
Tips:
Keep exploring.
Set Kill Criteria: If by (date), I have/haven’t (reached a particular state) I will stop/pivot.
Do the hard things first and pivot if it’s impossible.
Be aware of sunk costs and how your identity influences you.
Think about what you will waste by staying on a particular path.
Life is too short for opportunities that are no longer worthwhile.
To Reflect on:
Can you think of ways to celebrate or learn from those around you who quit?
What types of advance planning or kill criteria can you use for your projects or goals?
Can you schedule time to check in on your identity quarterly to make sure it aligns with your goals?
Other resources and thoughts:
“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.”
― Lorne Michaels
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Fail fast and iterate - create an environment where you can quickly develop and test minimum viable products, get feedback, and make changes. More on this topic in March!
From our session on Structured Procrastination: Can I give myself permission to do a less than perfect job in advance?
