Here’s the deal (true story):
- Guy goes to law school.
- Guy starts solo practice and runs it for a few years.
- Guy closes solo practice and takes a job outside of law.
- Guy quits job.
- Guy opens solo practice again.
- Guy starts a small business on the side, does that for a year or so, and abandons it.
- Guy starts another small business—this one online—and runs it for about six months while practicing law.
- Guy runs solo practice for a few years, gets some traction, and starts to build his reputation.
- Guy dramatically switches practice areas, abandons all existing referral sources and clients, and starts over with a new practice area.
Why does he switch so often? Why can’t he stick with it?
He’ll have a good story explaining his choices. It’ll be something about helping people, finding meaning, discovering the right fit, feeling good about his mission, whatever. There’s always a good story.
And all of this shifting around is teaching him something. He’s learning as he continues on his journey. And maybe his life will be more meaningful for having attempted different endeavors.
But—and this is the big lesson here—it’s more likely that he’s hitting the reset button frequently because he’s struggling to achieve his dreams with any particular endeavor.
It’s pretty likely that he’s getting frustrated and quitting before he succeeds and overcomes the frustration.
How to Decide Whether to Move Forward or Start Over
Seth Godin wrote about the quit vs. stick decision in The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). It’s 96 pages of wisdom that helps you decide whether the frustration you’re feeling means you’re failing or on the verge of victory. During the dip, it’s normal to lack clarity about whether you’re on the verge of victory or defeat. If you’re caught in the pattern of the guy I described above, then this book will be the best $10 you ever spent.
Sticking with it isn’t always the right choice. Sometimes you’ve got to make a change. But hitting the reset button and then hitting it again and then again and again is probably not a good decision. Getting down the road often requires continuing to head down the road, even when it’s not terribly exciting. Sticking with it is an important part of getting where you’re going.
When the going gets tough, the tough keep going. The beginning is always fun and interesting. The end is always fulfilling and enjoyable. The middle usually feels like a slog. It’s important to keep yourself aimed in the right direction and moving.
If your inclination is to believe that the other path will serve you better than the one you’re on, then go read The Dip. Your current progress came at a cost. You’ll have to pay again if you start on something new.
