Quitting is painful, isn’t it?
Nope. Today, I am going to tell you about my history with quitting things.
I have always found quitting to be quite easy. Perhaps this is because I have seen so many sportspersons retire. Even though I loved them so much and wanted them to carry on so badly. But, when it is time, you just know. Like the song of the lyrics go: “You gotta leave before you get left.”
Quitting Ice-cream: I always liked ice-creams since childhood. In fact, I was too fond of it. I quit it when I was 15 years old. It happened like this: One day I wanted to eat an ice-cream so badly. But I didn’t have sufficient money to buy one. I just said to myself, “I have already eaten my last ice-cream.” And just like that, I never ate it again. Till now. 10 years later. Not a single time. I surely got my willpower tested by quitting ice-cream. I don’t miss eating ice-creams anymore. Nor do I have any regrets.
The thing to keep in mind is: “We are always as strong as our weakest resolve.”
Quitting Staying Up Late: I used to stay up late at night (Typical teenager’s lifestyle) until my undergraduate years. (6 years ago.) Again one day, I just said to myself, “Instead of sleeping from 1 AM to 8:30 AM, How about I start sleeping from 11 PM to 7 AM? I have already seen the last time a clock shows 1 AM in the morning.”
My average waking up times of years 2017 and 2018 have been around 7 AM. It has been fun. I always noticed that I couldn’t do any serious research work after 11 PM and any activity I did after 11 O’clock was mostly not going to help me in long-run of life. Instead by waking up early, I have been able to utilize more time in the “good-time-of-the-day”.
Call it personal bias or whatever, but I like quitting when you don’t know when you are doing something for the last time. If you instead just say that “This is the last time I am going to do something and then leave it forever.” It just doesn’t sit well with me. That last time often lures you back to it. Same old habits. You will often get tempted to do it again by remembering that one last time. And there may never come the last time. Instead, not knowing that something you are doing might be the last often makes us cherish things more. You just never know when it could be the end. That is just a wonderful feeling.
While writing this, I still vividly remember how some great sportsmen retired unexpectedly when they felt they aren’t good enough anymore. I can recall how Gilly called “his moment of clarity” when he knew it was time to go:
“Somewhere between the Brett Lee ball hitting my gloves and hitting the ground… It was the (V.V.S.) Laxman edge in the first innings here… I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but it’s amazing the way things happen… I don’t think anyone in this room has missed the fact that I missed a few catches in this series… It puzzled me and I wasn’t quite sure why… I was working hard, but when I watched that replay, I realized I’d been slow in my movement… It made me realize in the ensuing 10-15 minutes that that’s it… I wasn’t moving quite as well, not only out in the middle but at training too… I realized that I didn’t have the absolute desperation you need to continue to maintain your standards… I was enjoying the role of a senior in the team, I was enjoying playing, but didn’t have that desperation… I’d lost that absolute desperation… “
When I heard him say it, I had tears in my eyes. Sometimes we have to be steady and give up the things we love the most, even our dreams. Entropy always increases in our universe. Everything falls apart in the end. Nothing lasts forever. So, quitting things often makes sense to pave way for the other amazing things.
So, if you want to quit something, go ahead and do it. If you have to think twice, then you aren’t ready just yet. Clarity of thoughts is what separates good from great. Never ever take half-measures. Either do it full-fledged or don’t do it at all.
Hope you found the article helpful.
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