I frequently see posts on social media that echo the theme of “never quit.” Often it is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill who supposedly said, “never give up. Never, never, never give up.” Whenever I see this, I scratch my head. I do so because successful people give up all the time. The key thing is to know what to quit and when to quit. Even Churchill knew this. The actual words he spoke in October of 1941, are, “”Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” First, look at the context of Churchill’s talk: it was 10 months into the war for England, fighting against arguably the most evil person who has ever walked the earth. In that context, quitting isn’t an option. He ends the line with “except…to good sense.” Successful people have the good sense to quit. Persistence, like most attributes, can be both a blessing and a curse. As I look back upon my personal and professional life, there are numerous things I should have quit sooner and redirected my focus and energies. There are jobs, businesses, and relationships, to name a few. What successful people never quit on is themselves. They never quit believing in themselves.
Never quit? I don’t think so. What about you? Is there something you need to quit?