Productivity culture tells us that persistence is a strength and quitting is a weakness.
From an early age, we learn that nobody likes or respects a quitter. If you start something, you have an obligation to see it through.
There’s no question that persistence is an important character strength—in the right places.
But the broad, over-simplification doesn’t serve us.
The admonition to not quit things ignores the cyclical and seasonal nature of life.
Not every project, hobby, or relationship is meant to last forever.
Our capacity, energy, and bandwidth are finite resources. In order to bring something new into the world, we often must quit something else.
The inability or unwillingness to quit something that has reached an end is what keeps us stuck. It clogs the space and prevents the new ideas from coming into fruition.
In many cases, persistence is a strength. But when conditions call for quitting, persistence can be a form of self-sabotage.
Knowing when and how to quit something is a skill. And the willingness and ability to quit at the right time is a strength.
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