There was an article in The Guardian titled “Feel like quitting your job or your relationship? Maybe you should…”. The premise of the article that we may have gone too far with the Grit Culture made popular by Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
In contrast, a new book titled Quitting: A Life Strategy by Julia Keller suggests that instead of digging your heels in, sometimes the better alternative is strategic quitting.
The tension between the Grit Culture and the Quit Culture has created a debate on the extremes.
The grit to stick with something no matter what vs. the other extreme of just quitting.
My Perspective – Do Both
I dug into the two concepts and believe that both perspectives have a lot we can learn from.
Looking first at grit. Here is Angela Duckworth’s description:
“Grit is about having what some researchers call an ‘ultimate concern’. A goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. Grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.”
Angela Duckworth
I believe the key to this statement is “care about so much”.
If a job or relationship has become stressful or overwhelming, ask how much you care.
If you care deeply, you should stick with it.
As Angela also describes, “life is a marathon, not a sprint”.
This could apply to more than just your job. Hobbies and other passions need grit to stick with things as you learn and make mistakes along the way.
On the flipside, Julia Keller suggests:
“Adults shouldn’t be afraid to give up and in some sense take on the world’s ire when you do that, because you know it’s the right thing.”
Julia Keller
To me, this suggests we need boundaries.
We need a compass for when a situation has gone further than we can handle.
This is the moment we need to prioritize ourselves.
We should quit and step away.
Your Turn
Do you see the tension between grit and quit?
Are there areas of your life where you would apply one, the other, or both?
How might these two concepts shape the future of our work?