Summary

The article contrasts the divergent life paths of the author and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, emphasizing the potential benefits of quitting endeavors that don't align with one's passion or gut feeling.

Abstract

The author reflects on the decision to complete a college education, contrasting it with Steven Bartlett's choice to drop out after one lecture, which led to significant personal and professional consequences, including estrangement from his mother. Despite the author's perseverance through college, resulting in a conventional career, they express regret and envy towards Bartlett's multi-millionaire status due to founding a successful company. The article suggests that quitting can be a positive action when it aligns with one's intuition and leads to more fulfilling pursuits, advocating for the importance of recognizing when to persist and when to let go.

Opinions

Quitting can be seen as a courageous act and a superpower when it involves following one's gut and pursuing personal fulfillment.
The societal pressure to never quit can be misguided, especially when continuing a path that lacks intrinsic motivation or joy.
The author believes that had they dropped out of college like Bartlett, they might have achieved greater success or personal satisfaction.
There is an emphasis on the importance of not quitting when facing challenges in areas one is truly passionate about.
The article suggests that holding onto unfulfilling commitments, such as certain relationships or forced hobbies, can hinder personal growth and happiness.
The author advocates for the value of quitting for the right reasons, without shame, and celebrating the ability to recognize when to move on from something that isn't right.

Why Being a Quitter is a Superpower

Inspired by a multi-millionaire in his 20s

Steven Bartlett had the cajones to drop out of college after just 1 lecture. He knew this was going to end in many repercussions. 1 of these repercussions was his own mother refusing to speak to him for a number of years.

I had the same feeling after a single lecture too. But unlike Steven, I stuck it out for 3 years instead.

This single decision put us on 2 completely different paths.

1 of us went on to found a company that is worth an estimated $600 Million today and is now a multi-millionaire.

The other had a less meteoric rise. He became a mid-level employee for a big company and is not a multi-millionaire (not yet, anyway)

Can you guess which one is which?

Unfortunately, this may surprise you. I am the 1 who stuck it out and now has a pretty standard career and neither fortune nor fame. At least my mum still speaks to me…

There is no guarantee if I had dropped out of college I would have hit the big time.

But, if I had walked away, I could have gone on to achieve a much more fulfilling life.

And at least would not have that nagging feeling lingering inside of me. I could have held my head up high for listening to my gut.

I was always told not to be a quitter and to stick things out until the very end. But what is the point if we know something isn’t for us?

Should we keep pursuing things that do not make us feel anything and we know give us no intrinsic motivation to perform?

I am not saying we should quit every time things get hard. But we should walk away quickly (maybe even a jog) from the things that do not fill us with joy and we know we are going to quit at some point anyway.

There are many things I spent precious time towards that I knew I was just going to pack in at some point. Examples include learning a musical instrument I had no interest in learning and any forced hobbies put on me by my parents.

Even certain relationships I should have ‘quit’ ages before when they were no longer serving me and making me a person I didn’t want to be. But these feelings of loyalty and comfort made it hard to walk away.

Being a quick quitter and throwing in the towel early when you know deep down something isn’t right is a gift and should be celebrated.

But you should refuse to quit when you are doing something you truly care about and hit major roadblocks.

Just like Steven Bartlett did. He quit when something didn't feel right and refused to quit when he was running his business and facing daily hurdles that would make anyone want to quit.

Be a quitter.

Don’t take any shame in quitting.

Just make sure you quit for the right reasons.