The Dip is a fantastic little book written by the popular business blogger Seth Godin. In my opinion, everyone should read this book as early in their life as possible. It's a very fast read and you'll get through it in no less than 2 hours.
Seth's message is simple in The Dip is simple. His writing is direct and to the point. Very easy to understand.
When is it time to quit?
In todays society, we're taught never to give up. Don't quit.
Seth Godin has a different perspective. He states that winners quit all the time and that it's important to know how to quit the right stuff at the right time.
Quit the wrong stuff.
Stick with the right stuff.
Have the guts to do one or the other.
Seth talks about how when you first start something, it is fun and interesting and you're growing. But eventually, there is a dip. The dip is when you get stuck in a rut, the going gets tough, or when you're faced with adversity.
Most people either give up right before the verge of success and end up failing. Others push through it and succeed.
Seth says it's important to know WHEN to quit, or whether or not you should keep going.
He states that there a lot of jobs or things people begin pursuing that simply aren't worth it. They're dead-end jobs. And when you come across anything that is dead-end, you want to get off of it as quickly as possible. The reason is because it's keeping you from doing something else. The opportunity cost of investing your life in something that isn't going to get better isn't worth it.
On the other hand, when you know your goal and you're striving to be the best in the world at it, that's when you never give up. You get through the dip. You change your approach. You make it happen!
Persistent people are able to visualize the idea of light at the end of the tunnel when others can't see it. At the same time, the smartest people are realistic about not imagining light when there isn't any.
It's okay to quit, sometimes.
In fact, it's okay to quit often.
You should quit if you're on a dead-end path. You should quit if you're facing a Cliff. You should quit if the project you're working on has a Dip that isn't worth the reward at the end. Quitting the projects that don't go anywhere is essential if you want to stick out the right ones. You don't have the time or the passion or the resources to be the best in the world at both.Yes, I know it's heretical, but I'm advocating quitting. Quitting often, in fact.
Not giving up and abandoning your long-term strategy (wherever you might be using that strategy — a career, an income, a relationship, a sale) but quitting the tactics that aren't working.
To check out The Dip by Seth Godin on Amazon.com, click here.