👽 Is quitting OK?

Outlooking and normalizing the exit of an entity and realizing settling in life is never a destination.

Image Courtesy: Salesforce

I might gonna sound philosophical in the next few seconds of reading but I always had the urge of sharing this notion that I had.

It's okay to quit!

Quit the job you hate. Leave the relationship that isn't serving you. Quit the friendships that are draining. It's okay to switch majors, change schools, drop out, change careers, move cities and break up with your partner. Quitting is not a character's fault in the same way that failing is not a character's fault. If you are self-aware of what went wrong and not afraid to start from scratch you can quit at any time and anywhere.

Forget what about the noun. Mind about the verb. What does that mean? It doesn’t matter what you are and all it matters is what you do, i.e. It doesn’t matter if you are a doctor or if you are a software engineer. All that matters is what you do. Do you make content? Can you educate people? Can you solve problems efficiently? Verb speaks more than nouns.

Verb > Noun

I can design cool websites 💻 > I am a software engineer 🧑‍💻

So basically, we don't need labels like Teacher, Lawyer, Youtuber, or Entrepreneur.

Ali Abdaal in one of the videos superlatively explains when can one quit aka 'The Quitting Framework'.

The Quitting Framework

Insecurities?

Well, most people have insecurities when they quit and that's what forces them to continue a job that they hate or hold a relationship that they won't even love, but the fact is even the most confident person in the room has insecurities. So, every tom, dick, and harry has their insecurities and it's completely okay to have them when you quit. Take as much as risks as you can and your 20s and 30s are the age when you can take calculated risks.

Sometimes life is about risking everything for a vision no one can see but you!

You are not behind in life!

There is no concept of being ahead or behind in life. Everyone is going through their journey. Whenever my dad drops me at school on his motorcycle, I have this silly habit of asking my dad - 'Who is the first in this road race?' And my dad will be like "...Huh? 🙄" Later, he patiently replies that everyone is travelling somewhere and everyone has their own destination and there is no notion of first/runner-up.

Life is a whole mix. I might sound dramatic. But that's what reality is. Some friends of yours would have been married. Some would even have a kid(s). Some would be all-settled. While some are figuring out what to do in life (like me). Settling in life is never a destination. It is a journey and how you enjoy the journey is all that matters.

Small efforts but done consistently will sum up and might even compound over time. It’s better to do a little bit consistently rather than do a lot once in a while. It is true that you might not get traction or you can’t see the results instantly but trust the process and over time best things will happen unexpectedly provided you do them consistently.

"I have always believed that process is more important than results"

- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former Indian cricket captain.