Most of us have been brought up with the mantra 'Never Give Up' engraved in our genes. We are taught from early age that persistence and perseverance will help us achieve our goals. At the same time, quitting is seen as a sign of weakness - even for minor activities.
A friend told me that the words of her father about never giving up echoed in her head, every time she was reading a novel that she didn't like. As for myself, I was always surprised by those who left the cinema as soon as they realized that the film was not up to their expectations.
The dilemma when to give up or not becomes prominent when you face important decisions about career progression. For example: do you push for your next promotion or do you change companies? Do you continue working in a sector you are not passionate about or do you make a career change?
These are difficult decisions to make. Here are three key questions you need to ask yourself that can help you decide what course you take.
If you answers are mostly Yes, then don't give up. Everything worth doing requires effort. If the answers trend to No, then you have to rethink your overall objective.
Expect doubt to creep in every now and then. It is perfectly normal. Use the opportunity to re-assess the situation and make appropriate changes. Your mentor may able to provide you an external perspective . Don't let though fear itself stop you. Eliminate thoughts such as "I am not good enough" or "It's too late now".
The Bottom Line: Having gone through the questions above, you will be able to decide when NOT to give up. Sometimes though, quitting is the best thing you can do.
Have you faced this dilemma? How did you make the decision?
Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply, author, consultant and speaker. She has held senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry for 12 years and has an MBA from MIT Sloan. Her blog b4iapply has been recommended by The Guardian for professional development.