Winners Never Quit - Or Do They?

#13, June 24, 2008

You can look back at many of your past successes knowing that because of your persistence, you were able to ride through the tough times and succeed. But is persistence always a good thing?

In the recent book "The Dip" author Seth Godin points out that to succeed in most endeavors we must first survive "the dip"- that period of time when the biggest barriers come up, or when it looks like we are not going to make it. Great leaders do not back down from his or her high expectations simply because the going gets tough.
But haven't you also persisted with some things that just never worked out? Maybe an employee you believed you could get to be a good performer who just didn't want to be one? Or that marketing plan that just isn't working but you believe it should?

In "The Dip" Godin says that the real winners are those who also know when to quit-they know when they are in a "dead end". Accepting setbacks graciously or admitting that you are wrong is not an easy thing to do, but there are steps I have learned to help me decide whether it is a "dip" or a "dead end".

  1. I listen to my gut feelings. In many situations logic is not available because I have not been in this situation before. So I listen to my instincts. Does forging ahead feel like the right thing to do?
  2. Get advice. There are a number of people in my life whose opinions I value, that I can bounce my thoughts and feelings off.
  3. Think about the consequences of success and failure. Can I recover from the consequences if it doesn't work out? Is it worth it?
  4. Then make the decision and move ahead.
Remember, there are no mistakes, only learning experiences. If there is such a thing as a mistake, it is not learning from what we do. Persistence has worked very well for me, and even more so since I learned to trust my gut instincts and quit when I am in a "dead end".

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© 2007 Keith Ayers. All rights reserved.

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