Sometimes, we tend to hold on to things even after they’ve run their course. Think about that relationship you couldn’t give up on or the job you stayed in despite your boss making you miserable. If you strongly identify as not being a quitter, your tendency is likely to stick with things for a little too long. There are five strategies you can use to learn how to cut your losses when it’s time to go.
- Refocus your thinking. Instead of focusing on what you’ll lose, think about what you stand to gain if you cut your losses.
- Assess what is in your control. Getting clear on what you can control and what you can’t is essential to making a quality decision about whether to call it quits or persevere.
- Expand your self-identity. Instead of identifying yourself a “not a quitter” recall your other positive traits and personality characteristics that you can leverage for decision making.
- Seek other perspectives. It could be helpful to seek external sources of information, rather than relying solely on your thinking and instincts.
- Have self-compassion. When something that seemed so promising at the start doesn’t turn the way we imagined, we can become overly self-critical. Instead of ruminating and criticizing yourself, focus instead on what you can learn from this situation.
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Projects, relationships, and jobs don’t always work out as planned — and it’s not always clear when to throw in the towel. We’ve all repeatedly heard the adage that “quitters never win,” but sometimes the best decision is to cut our losses.
