Why Do People Quit Too Late?

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Gail: We tend to quit too late because we're afraid of that moment when we go from maybe in the in the process of failing to having failed. She says quitting is just viewed so universally negatively but all this comes down to whether it's sticking to things or walking away from things and why don't we measure these decisions against how happy they make us? Gail: Stephen Levitt did a website where he put up a virtual coin which would flip if you were struggling with a decision like "should I stay in my job or should I leave" He said 20,000 people did it and now he measures their happiness two and six months later by comparing them to stickers on his wall

What if becoming a better quitter was something to aspire to? Annie Duke thinks it is. She’s a national science foundation fellowship winner and bestselling author who’s used her background in psychology to become a successful poker player and business advisor. Lately, she’s spent time studying the power of quitting, a tool she argues is as important as grit, resilience, and sticking it out. The science shows we’re not great at it. We don’t fire quickly enough. We don’t quit soon enough. We don’t end relationships early enough. Why? Well, identity and goals play a role. Along with many of the messages our culture sends that err more on the side of stick it out than on the side of quit and try something else. Annie’s compelling book on the topic is titled, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. It’ll help you see how sticking with something that’s not working is just as much a decision as quitting. You’ll begin to view quitting as an important tool to add to your decision-making toolkit, especially when you understand better when to use it. Episode Links Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer To Change, or Not to Change? Just Flip a Coin Horse by Geraldine Brooks The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.