Quitting is Not Bad, Changing Your Mind Is a Strength
Here Is What Happened When I Changed My Mind
Have you ever told someone that you changed your mind about something and they immediately judged you for being a quitter?
I am sure, there are more than one instances you could recall!
Have the Audacity to Change Your Mind
When I was in college, I always wanted to work in a ‘core’ industry. For an electrical engineering student, that means working at sites such as substations, power plants or manufacturing units.
I was so hell-bent on getting a role in my desired industry that I didn’t even consider any of the non-core IT/ management firms during campus placements.
Finally, I got a role in one of the largest construction firms in India. I was a site engineer responsible for two electrical substations being constructed in the nation’s capital, Delhi.
I HATED that job! To the core, until this day, I still have the same answer. The nature of work did not excite me. Three months into this new role and I quit. My parents, teachers and friends thought I had lost my mind!
Everyone told me that quitting your first job in one of the best firms, with no backup plans, is career suicide
With no alternate plan in place, I decided to pursue higher education. So, I started applying for an MBA course and appeared for all the possible entrance exams. Six months later, I changed my mind again and joined a data & analytics firm. A company and industry unheard of at the time. A few years later, it became the sexiest job of the 21st century.
That one change of decision led to many good things in life. It led to an opportunity to move to the US. But visa troubles led me to change my mind again and I decided to move to Australia instead. Best decision of my life!
Moving to a new country gave me a fresh perspective and allowed me to expand my horizon. Fast forward to 2019, I changed my mind again and decided to change my career path.
At the time when data & analytics was booming, I decided to quit my job at a Big 4 Consulting Firm to venture into the world of fitness and become a health coach
I wanted to move back home to India and open a gym. One month in India, reality struck and I realised what a mammoth investment that would be. With the kind of facility I wanted to run, it would take at least five years to break even. So, I decided to run an online health coaching business.
Everyone told me it is a foolish idea. That no one will hire a health coach to work remotely. A few months later, covid hit us and the entire world moved online!
These are just a few among many instances when I dared to listen to my heart and make a better decision. If you can gather the courage to change your mind, you will never regret a single thing in life.
We regret the things we don’t do more than the things we do
- Mark Twain
Changing Your Mind Is a Strength
There is so much data that we collect every single day about ourselves. If we don’t use that to make new decisions, then we are missing out. When you feel stuck in decision paralysis, ask yourself one simple question — What is holding you back?
Don’t be stuck to a decision based on what others will think about you. Quitting is not bad as long as it is done with awareness. Let’s not confuse it with giving up. Your ability to change your mind and adapt to this ever-changing world is your ultimate strength.
