When To Throw In The Towel: Why Quitting Isn't Always Bad

At a fairly early age, many of us were taught that quitting is a no-no in the game of life. We were told that it's better to finish what one starts for principle's sake and never, ever give up. It takes a certain level of maturity and wisdom to understand that every race isn't worth running, and every battle isn't worth fighting, even though there are times when we don't realize that something isn't for us until we are already in the trenches. So when is it appropriate to throw in the towel? Certainly no one wants to be labeled a "quitter" and thwart their own success in life.

I would argue that there are several instances in which it would be better to walk away than to stick things out:

When you are running someone else's race or fighting someone else's battle because they put you up to it. Whether it's a job you never really wanted to do or something that you feel compelled to complete because someone expected you to, it's important to assess for yourself if it's truly worth it. What's the worst that could happen if you said no and walked away? You may fear losing an important position, association, or opportunity, but it is also quite possible that this was never in your best interest to begin with.

When your integrity is being compromised. Once you lose your integrity, you may never gain it back. Every day, someone compromises their integrity for material gain, professional advancement, or something else that they think will enhance their life in some major way. One of the biggest challenges with compromising one's integrity is that it often starts a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. And even if one should happen to get back on the straight and narrow path at some point, they must live with regret over the damage caused by poor choices.

When your mental or physical health are at stake. Anything that breaks you down to the point where your mental and physical health take a major dive is something you should strongly consider letting go of. While there are some things in life worth dying for (justice, freedom, family, or anything else that you believe strongly enough in), there are many more things in life that aren't. Abusive relationships, jobs that take their toll on your overall well-being, and associations that lead you to dangerous places and situations are not worth dying for.

When you were only in it to boost your self-esteem. It takes much more than accomplishments to boost one's self-esteem. Sometimes, self-esteem can blossom from the courage to walk away from a situation that you entered into for all the wrong reasons. Praise, status, and acceptance - these are all fleeting things and not good enough reasons to pursue any endeavor, though the temptation may at times be high.

When you were competing with someone else to prove a point. A healthy sense of competition is certainly not a bad thing in moderation, but if you pursue an undertaking just to "humble" someone else or steal the limelight from them, you are giving them way too much of your time and mental energy and doing yourself a disservice. The time you spend competing with them is time that could better be spent finding out what it is that you truly want to do in life and giving it your all. If it's someone's season to shine, let them shine! Their gifts may not be yours, and their purpose in life may not be your purpose. If you can't find it in your heart to be happy for them, then at the very least quietly step aside and let them have their moment.

A history of quitting is never a good thing, but we must all give ourselves permission from time to time to walk away from something that was most likely not meant for us in the first place. In the end, one could potentially gain more from walking away from a negative situation than would ever be possible if he or she stuck it out.