When is it time to Quit

Their Story Isn’t Yours

I started this company about four and a half years ago alongside three of my friends in my office since they needed a space to work out of as well. Things were great! We shared the bills and we had company. We also landed up passing business to one and learning of one another. It was nice and comforting. Then life happened and everyone started to move their separate ways for greener pastures. We parted knowing it was the end of an era but necessary for the next stage for our respective companies. 

See at that time everyone was in Startup mode. Everyone wanted to branch out and start something where they are their own boss. Sounds ideal, right? Well no one told them about the inside scoop on how difficult and trying it is. A large chunk of those startups including a few of friends of mine didn’t see it past year three. And that collided with my 5-year slump wherein I started to question myself. Self-doubt made home in my brain. It was a dark hole and I was plummeting faster than I had expected. 

Then I spoke to a very dear who had left the entrepreneur life for an employed one. I put myself on the table plain as day and waited for a response that sounded like, “It’s been five years love. It hasn’t worked. Throw in the towel at least this way you won’t be losing money.” But the response that followed took a while to actually sink in. “Your journey is very different than mine. My story isn’t yours and stop trying to make it so.” Bear in mind at the time things were tough and I was very close to throwing in the towel looking at a lot company’s door shut. 

Everybody’s pain threshold is different. Not all of us are meant to make it. It’s unfortunate but it’s true. The few of us that do make it are the ones that decided to stick it out till we made it. Quitting wasn’t on the cards for us. And even then success for everyone is defined very differently. Some people are very content with our small enterprises and some of us want to become Mark Zuckerberg. But the daunting questions are:

1.    Should I quit?

2.    Does that make me a coward?

Answers are:

1.    You should throw in the towel when you have nothing left to give. When you have gone back to the drawing board 10000000000 times and tried to make it work. When you have pulled every string, you have and now you are sitting in a room and you have absolutely nothing left inside you and you can’t go on. Your company then becomes that bad relationship you have finally walked away from and then, even if the other half turns into the Dalai Lama you are so far away he/she can’t catch you. 

2.    No, it doesn’t!!! It takes serious courage to recognize that this wasn’t meant for you and you are willing to try something different. For those of you who have, I salute you! You are made of stronger steel than me. 

But before you take the decision to end the climb ask yourself a few questions:

1.    Have I given this everything I have?

2.    Am I quitting because of people around me?

3.    Is there a way I can scale down and look at it differently?

4.    Is there something else I am going to start?

5.    Or will I land up in the corporate world again?

If the answer to most of the above questions is YES then you shouldn’t quit. Go back to the drawing board and revaluate everything realistically this time by answering all the question mentioned above. 

Until next time remember Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly!