As a Denver Broncos fan, I approached Super Bowl 50 with trepidation. Yes, I wanted my team to win, but there was also an overriding concern — I didn’t want Peyton Manning to go out with another heartbreaking Super Bowl loss.
Fortunately, the Denver defense gave Manning a gigantic gift, and he clearly appreciates it. Now he can ride off into the sunset a champion, just as John Elway did in 1999.
As long as he actually does it, that is.
It seems silly to think Peyton wouldn’t take this opportunity to retire, given his physical deterioration this year. And yet, great quarterbacks such as Joe Montana and Brett Favre just couldn’t seem to walk away, and ended up diminishing their luster a bit by not exiting gracefully.
Maybe that’s because our culture routinely condemns quitting. We’re taught as children that quitters never win. That it’s a virtue to persevere, no matter what.
Of course, that’s not the truth. And yet, even though we know that logically, the stigma against “giving up” remains strong. Quitting the practice of law was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done, and yet I was initially wracked with feelings of guilt and inadequacy.
Quitting something that you lack passion for makes sense. But so does facing the reality that what you’re doing is not something you’re good at, and it’s not important enough to you (or perhaps even possible) to get better.
The Seth Godin quote on the graphic above comes from The Dip, a book dedicated to knowing when to keep going, and when to quit. I could have easily used this quote from the book instead:
“Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers.”
Quitting can be a virtue, just as much as perseverance can be the wrong move. Knowing when to do one or the other, and having the courage to act accordingly, are what’s important.
further: health
Bulk Down
“If there is a holy grail of weight loss, it would be a program that allows someone to shed fat rapidly while hanging on to or even augmenting muscle. A new study describes a workout and diet regimen that accomplishes two of those goals remarkably well.”
A Diet and Exercise Plan to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle
McDouble Chin
The question isn’t whether you’re surprised that the McDonald’s kale salad you just ate has more calories than a Double Big Mac. The question is, what the hell were you doing in McDonalds?
McDonald’s kale salad has more calories than a Double Big Mac
All In Your Head
Here’s an interesting list of ways the mind-body connection can help you overcome a variety of ailments. You can’t wish yourself better, but things like expectation, distraction, and social support can persuade our bodies to heal.
10 Ways Your Mind Can Help You Heal (According To Science)
further: wealth
Investing is Not Rocket Surgery
A couple of weeks ago we talked about why a financial advisor might just be a waste of your time and money. The author of the book featured in that piece gives an interview here, and you might find it helpful.
Don’t Let Your Brain Throw Away All Your Money
Private Speaking
“If you’ve never spoken on stage before, you might feel overwhelmed the first time you get up there. To help make you a bit more comfortable with the experience, Public Speaking for Google Cardboard helps simulate a crowd.”
Public Speaking for Cardboard Helps You Practice Speaking to an Audience
Information FOMO
“Intentional Ignorance gives you space to do your best work. It frees up mental energy for big, exciting projects. It allows you to focus – with laser-like intensity – on one or two things.”
The Life-Changing Magic of Intentional Ignorance
further: wisdom
Modified Repetition
We’ve touched on the techniques discussed here in the past coming from a few directions, so it’s not necessarily new. But it is effective, and this article does an excellent job of tying it all together.
New Method Helps You Learn Skills Twice As Fast
Free Willy
Back in the 1980s, when Benjamin Libet made a discovery that seemed to suggest we don’t really have free will, one might have predicted that we were headed for nihilism (which is exhausting). New research suggests that Libet didn’t get it quite right.
Neuroscience and Free Will Are Rethinking Their Divorce
No Doubt
“One of the most pervasive and perennial contradictions pulling the human spirit asunder is our yearning for greatness, which coexists with our chronic propensity for self-doubt.”
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I traditionally sign off each newsletter by saying “Keep going.” I guess I should qualify that for this issue in case you need to quit? Never mind, you know what I mean ….
Please share Further with a friend (thanks!):
Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
