What Works: When to quit and when to hold
Yikes Diane! Did you say the Q word? Are you actually suggesting, Ms. Mindset, that quitting IS an option? Yes, dear reader, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Just as we have reasons for adapting, improvising, overcoming, and pressing on, there are times we need to recognize, rearrange, and restart when something doesn’t serve us. In other words, quitting isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.
When is it all clear to quit? I like to refer a “pain scale” I created for quitting or, a better term for it, SHIFTING. Ha … you thought I was going to go negative. Shifts are absolutely necessary to evolve, change, and improve as a person.
You aren’t giving up everything. You are just giving up the source of the pain to make room for something new in your life.
Pain Level 1: Slight discomfort, nothing that can’t be overcome with a little communication—it’s workable, although not entirely comfortable.
Pain Level 2: It’s annoying and may have resulted in a few disagreements, verbal or otherwise. It’s on your mind and is affecting the way you do things.
Pain Level 3: Now it’s really annoying and the head chatter is really piping up. There may or may not have been verbal exchanges of an unpleasant nature.
Pain Level 4: It’s definitely starting to affect you mentally, physically, spiritually, or sexually. You may be distracted, lose some sleep, or start seeing a few consequences of holding on to the pain. The situation may begin to be visible to others.
Pain Level 5: There is definite loss and you would be better without the source of the pain than with it. It has cost you time, money, relationships, self-esteem, or something else that is valuable. It is actively hurting you or others in some way. It’s time to QUIT (or shift).
Every situation is different. While you are in pain, business, personal, or otherwise, your perception of this pain scale might be skewed. If you are very uncertain, speak to a professional counselor. If it's business related, speak to a business coach like myself. Identify the source of the pain, where you are on the pain scale, and you can determine if you need to hold on (adapt, improvise, and overcome) or quit/shift (recognize, rearrange, and restart).
What are you going through? Where are you on the pain scale with it? What is the solution? Comment below and I will help the best I can. The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.