Most of us have heard the Vince Lombardi quote, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” But is quitting really that bad? I think it all depends on how you define it.
Becoming good at something requires focus. It requires saying no to some things in order to focus on that one thing you want to excel at. In other words, it requires quitting. Not quitting the thing you want to get good at, but quitting the other things that get in the way.
This kind of quitting is different than giving up because something is hard. Being able to persevere—not quit—when things are difficult is a critical ingredient to being successful in life (however you define that term). If you always give up when it’s hard to keep going, you’ll forever be limited in what you accomplish.
But quitting because something is hard is different that strategically quitting some things in order to free up time and focus for the areas you care most about. Quitting, in this sense, isn’t bad at all, but can actually be a key to winning in the areas that remain.