WC Fields once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.” What he said goes against the other really famous expression, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” So who is right about when to quit?
To answer the question about knowing when to quit vs. trying to win at all costs, let me introduce you to a recent study in psychology. Miller and Wrosch compared two groups of people. One group believed in “winning at all costs.” The other group believed that quitting when you’re faced with an unattainable goal was the smart thing to do. Guess which group held up better physically?
The “quitter’s” bodies produced lower levels of stress protein than the “winners.” As a result, the “quitters” had fewer stomach problems, skin problems, and lower mental stress. The “winners” tended to decay internally.
I should have known. A few years ago, I experienced the same types of symptoms as the “winners.” Doctors couldn’t explain it back then. Today, I know better. I should have known when to quit. I learned that thinking about winning when you know deep down inside that you can’t win, just produces negative thoughts. The more you try to win -even though you know you can’t – the more you inflame the negativity. In the end you’re body just falls apart. When that happens, you are forced to quit anyway by the hand of nature. So learning how to quit, even when you are not ahead, is an important life lesson. I had to learn this the hard way. This is why I’m sharing this with you.
I imagine resisting a bad habit like smoking or overspending is equally difficult if we face it head-on. Perhaps an easier way to quit the bad habit is to stop thinking about quitting the bad habit all the time. Maybe we should stop dwelling on quitting vs. winning the battle against the bad habit. Maybe we should seduce our minds with another habit. In order words, don’t focus on the negativity. Rather, find another positive habit to replace the bad habit. Does this make sense?
Here’s to quitting so that you can ultimately win.