Winners Never Quit – Or Do They?

You can look back at many of your past successes knowing that because of your persistence, you were able to ride through the tough times and succeed. But is persistence always a good thing?

In the recent book, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) author Seth Godin points out that to succeed in most endeavours we must first survive "the dip"—that period of time when the biggest barriers come up, or when it looks like we are not going to make it. Great leaders do not back down from his or her high expectations simply because the going gets tough.

But haven't you also persisted with some things that just never worked out? Maybe an employee you believed you could get to be a good performer who just didn't want to be one? Or that marketing plan that just isn't working but you believe it should?

In "The Dip" Godin says that the real winners are those who also know when to quit—they know when they are in a "dead end". Accepting setbacks graciously or admitting that you are wrong is not an easy thing to do, but there are steps you can learn which will help you decide whether it is a "dip" or a "dead end".

Listen to your gut feelings. In many situations logic is not available because you have not been in this situation before. So listen to you instincts. Does forging ahead feel like the right thing to do?

Get advice. Who are the people in your life whose opinions you value, that you can bounce your thoughts and feelings off?

Think about the consequences of success and failure. Can you recover from the consequences if it doesn't work out? Is it worth it?

Then make the decision and move ahead.

Remember, there are no mistakes, only learning experiences. If there is such a thing as a mistake, it is not learning from what we do. Persistence works very well, especially when you learn to trust your gut instincts and quit when you are in a "dead end".

Winners Never Quit – Or Do They?