Winners do quit: when walking away is the right move
Mel Robbins takes 'winners always quit' from Olympians, Seth Godin treats quitting as an honest decision, and Georges St-Pierre, Magnus Carlsen and Matthew McConaughey each explain why they walked away at the top, from the UFC, the World Championship and a 14.5 million dollar film offer. Their accounts turn quitting from a failure of nerve into a choice about what you want next, which is useful to anyone staying in something only because they are good at it.
When is quitting the right move, according to these five? Show answer
When the thing you are leaving has stopped giving you what you came for and staying would cost more than it returns.
What is Mel Robbins's test for a good quit? Show answer
Courage. Choosing to quit is a decision that takes courage, while running away happens because you are afraid.
What did Simone Biles do in Tokyo and afterward? Show answer
She withdrew from nearly every event when she could not complete her rotations safely, then returned to compete at the Paris Games.
What is Seth Godin's difference between a dip and a dead end? Show answer
A dip is the hard part before it gets easier. A dead end will not improve however long you persist.
How can you tell you are in a dip? Show answer
You can see someone who came before you and got through it.
What does Godin say about sunk costs? Show answer
Past costs are gone either way. The choice is whether to accept what they bought or walk away and build something new.
Why did Georges St-Pierre leave fighting? Show answer
He never liked fighting. He did it for freedom and money, and left healthy and wealthy once he had them.
What did Magnus Carlsen give up, and why? Show answer
The World Championship, not chess. Title matches ran on fear of losing, and he values his number one ranking more.
What did Matthew McConaughey turn down? Show answer
Romantic comedy roles, including an offer that rose to 14.5 million dollars, after about a year and a half without work.
What do all five have in common? Show answer
They quit something narrow, not their whole craft, and each knew what they wanted next.
How do St-Pierre and Godin differ on timing? Show answer
Godin says push through the early dip. St-Pierre says leave at the top, when the upside left is small and the risk is large.
Who is this advice not meant for in the same way? Show answer
People without a cushion. Godin says some must work today to eat tomorrow, and St-Pierre says build a plan B first.