Here Are 5 Times When You’re Allowed To Quit

You’re allowed to quit.

You can give up and begin something new in your life. People (including myself) always say the cliché line, “Never give up,” but we say it for good reason.

Here’s the reason why we say “Keep going” and “Don’t give up yet” so much: most of the time, we quit incredibly fast. We’ll start a new venture, chase after a new passion, and then two weeks later when we don’t see any results, we quit. We’ll move on to something new, something that we’re sure is going to work this time.

Two weeks may seem like a long time. Tell me that my favorite show isn’t coming back for another two weeks, and I’ll probably respond, “TWO MORE WEEKS?!” Sadly, we’re not allowed to have dramatic reactions like when it comes to real life.

You’re not allowed to say “It’s been two weeks, and I STILL don’t have 1,000 visitors on my blog?” You’re not even allowed to say, “It’s been one month, and I’m STILL not close to making $10,000?”

Things take time. A lot of time, like, months… and years.

The reason more and more people are telling you to be patient and to not give up yet is because you shouldn’t. It’s because you haven’t worked long enough yet. You’re probably stressing the hell out even though you’re still in the early stages, and that’s not the time to be stressing out.

If you love something with a passion, and you’re so excited to succeed with it, but you’re still not seeing results, take a step back and ask yourself, “How long have I been doing this for?” If your answer is a small amount of time then don’t give up.

If that’s the case, then when are you allowed to quit?

You’re allowed to quit when:

1. It doesn’t feel right in your gut anymore

You know when something isn’t right for you anymore. You feel it in your gut, and you need to learn how to listen and trust your inner voice.

If there’s a voice in the back of your mind saying, “I’m not so sure I want to keep going with this any longer,” investigate further. Why don’t you want to do it? Are you tired of it? Do you want to try something new? Take the time to answer your own questions.

2. You’re tired of it

You can quit if something is genuinely stressing you out, and you don’t know how much longer you can take it. If you don’t wake up in the morning excited for what you’re about to do, and actually dread it, maybe it’s time to try something new.

If it’s stressing you out, if you feel like crying over it, if it gives you headaches, or if you feel like screaming, it’s okay to give up. You can move on, and do something that makes your chest feel light.

3. You’ve tried hard and have given it your all

Say that you’ve genuinely tried your thing. You focused, you worked, and you were dedicated. You learned everything you could, and did as much as you could. You did that for say two or three years, and you honestly don’t see a change in anything.

You’re not getting more customers or followers or subscribers. You’re just… there. If you’re feeling discouraged, AND your gut is telling you to try something new, then go for it.

4. You’re not passionate about it anymore

Shit happens. You may still love the thing that you’ve decided to pursue, but it doesn’t ignite you the way it used to. That’s okay! Sometimes we love something, and then we fall out of love.

If you’re not passionate about it, and it doesn’t make your heart feel all happy, then you can quit. Find something else to like, stay curious about stuff, and try it all out. Find what you love, and then do something about it.

5. You’re ready to move on/you need new challenges

Sometimes giving up isn’t something not happening, sometimes it’s about everything happening. Maybe you’ve succeeded, and these passed few years were some of the greatest, but you’re ready for a new adventure.

You want to leave the company or the blog or whatever, and fall in love with something else. You like stepping out of your comfort zone, you love the thrill and the risk. Quit then, and do something else. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because what’s life without new adventure every now and then, right?

On a final note, remember: giving up is not failing.