Sometimes We Should Give Up and Move On

Posted on April 15, 2008

We are taught as children that persistence is good. Many wonderful things in life take an enormous, sustained effort. But when does walking away actually indicate wisdom, rather than a lack of fortitude? Other paths and new opportunities do exist.

We are taught as youngsters that persistence is good. So many trite sayings are drummed into our heads, and we drum them into our children’s heads. “Try, try and try again.” “No pain, no gain.” “The grass always looks greener on the other side.” The message about persistence is important, because many wonderful things in life do take an enormous effort, and only by weathering disappointment along the way do we get to the fruits of our labor. But what about those people who begin to feel that disappointment (or hard times, or “the grind” of a job) may not be leading to any such “fruit”? When is walking away actually indicate wisdom, rather than a lack of fortitude?

Given the very slow recovery from the downturn that began in 2008, many business owners are tired out, having worked extra hard for several years now with less “fruit” than would be expected. Those that work for them got unrewarding pay raises as well, or were afraid to leave the job they had for a better one (that might not last).

Choosing the best path
We all have seen both types – the job jumpers (or opportunity jumpers) who never seem to stick with anything, and the “stick to it” types, who never change, no matter how futile the situation. In the extreme, neither approach is healthy, nor leads to getting the most out of life.

Fundamental to understanding what is best for you are two questions:

• What do you personally want out of life?
• What is your personal potential?

Not everybody wants more money or possessions. Personal growth, family time, travel, free time, good friends and achievement are all common life goals. If you really know what you want, and if your job or your business is holding you back, maybe it is time for a change.

It doesn’t have to be anyone’s fault that things don’t seem to be clicking. Most of us are not scientific about choosing our jobs (or our businesses), and do not (and often cannot) scan all opportunities to determine the optimal position for us. We just go job hunting and take the best job we can find at the time. Or we start a business in an industry we stumble upon, or because we happened to know about it.  So the poor fit between what we want, what our skills are, and a career that helps us achieve our personal goals is not surprising.

You know that what I’m saying is true. Haven’t you heard the people around you say things like, “I’m so glad I was laid off – now I’m out of that horrible place.” Or after selling their business, they say, “I feel so much lighter without the responsibilities of keeping all those people employed on my shoulders.” Don’t be like them and wish you’d moved on sooner. Too often people endure bad situations until they are forced to move on. Think about taking action sooner. Remember that you really do not have to wait until it is BAD. Most people deserve their occupation to be GOOD for them, a positive thing that helps them achieve what they want out of life.

Opportunities are everywhere
Over the years, I’ve taught entrepreneurship at the graduate level to over 500 adults, most with established career paths. I’ve taught nuclear physicists, engineers, therapists, accountants, businesspeople of all types in hundreds of industries. They each wrote a business plan (replete with personal goals) for the course, so I’ve seen details on over five hundred business opportunities in nearly as many industries. Let me assure you, there are THOUSANDS of jobs and businesses in which each of us could be successful. Just open your local yellow pages and look for yourself.  Here is one example of the fruits of picking an excellent opportunity:

Take 36 year old Taki Skouras, CEO of Atlanta based Cellairis, a wireless accessories franchisor.  He started the business in 2000, just as cell phones were emerging as omnipresent.  Riding the wave of cell phone adoption, his firm has grown to over 700 retail locations.  Despite several setbacks and a number of business mistakes along the way, the richness of the opportunity (and a lot of hard work) has provided great success for several hundred franchisees and the Cellairis core team.  The firm anticipates doubling revenues over the next two years.

Maybe you want to start a business like Taki did in a hot marketplace.  Or maybe owning a franchise is your path to business ownership.  Or if you love cell phones and working with the public in a mall environment, you could work for Cellairis.  The point is to find an opportunity that fits you and that you’re excited about.

But better opportunities are just half the formula. The other half is what you have to offer, or what you are willing to put into the pursuit of the better opportunity. Maybe that new opportunity requires loads of learning and skill building. It may take thousands more hours of work and effort to get all the benefits. And let’s face it – you may not have the talent to do it well enough to get what you really want.

Critical to deciding to change and making the right choices are accurate assessments. They are an accurate:

• assessment of your current situation,
• assessment of your capabilities and desires, and
• assessment of the new opportunity.

I’d suggest that you answer the following questions:

• Does my current post/career/business seem unrewarding relative to my efforts and contribution?
• Have I tried to fix/improve my present situation, and given it my best in a reasonable period of time?
• Have I searched and found an opportunity that is much more likely to fairly reward me? Include other careers, other businesses and other industries in the search.
• If such an opportunity has been found, am I willing to make any and all changes needed to really capture the value of that opportunity?
• Have I evaluated all of this when I am neither angry nor depressed?
• Have I discussed all of this with a mentor I respect or with my peers, and do they agree?

If some of your answers above are “no,” moving on may just lead to more of the same – or an even worse situation. It can always be worse. However, if you can answer a truthful, emphatic yes to all the above questions, moving on to greener pastures may be the best step for you. As always, the choice is yours. So when you sell, quit the business, close, move on, or make any other big career change, assess carefully, take action, and then make the best of it. If you make a mistake, you can always repeat the process.

Takeaways:

• Before heading for greener pastures, figure out what you want from your life and work.
• Know that the possibilities and opportunities in business are practically endless.
• Fully assess your present situation, your desires, your skills and the potential opportunities.