“Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers.”
This quote is taken from Seth Godin’s book “The Dip” gave me the chills when I read it. The question Seth Godin answers in his book is: what makes some few organizations, teams, and individuals so successful while others vanish in mediocrity?
Hard work, dedication, and a certain IQ are indeed part of the equation. But what if quitting (or not quitting) at the right time is also part of that equation?
Quitting is frequently seen as failing. But what I realized by reading Seth Godin’s quote is that quitting does not equal failure. Sometimes, quitting is merely essential to becoming exceptional at something. Let me explain why but before we start let’s agree that mediocrity is not an option.
Everyone somehow wants to become the best at something, whether it is cooking the world best meal for your loved ones or becoming the world best football team. So why and when does it make sense to quit? Seth Godin argues, and I agree, that the only and the best time to stop is when one realized that one could not become the best at something. When you know that you cannot be exceptional at whatever you are pursuing, why continue doing it? This is the perfect time to quit and find another field where you have real chances of becoming the absolute best in the world. Whenever you realize that you are setting for mediocracy, try to regain your initial motivation (and the action belonging to it) or quit. Either you work on something to become the absolute best in it or better don’t do it.
So why am I telling you this and why did I get the chills when I read Seth Godin’s sentences? My blog mirrored average. I did not publish exceptional content nor did I do it with extraordinary regularity. Why sticking with an average blog when I can become exceptional?
I hope the quote makes you realize what you should not be doing anyway or maybe it gives you the necessary call to action.
Remember: Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers.
Photo by Sebastián León Prado on Unsplash
