Quitting is a Skill, Not a Failure

Category: Strategy & Career | Date: Feb 9, 2026

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We live in a culture that fetishizes "grit." We are told to hustle, to grind, to push through the pain. We are taught from grade school that "quitters never win" and that resilience is just a matter of enduring discomfort longer than everyone else.

But there is a dangerous side effect to this narrative. It convinces smart, capable people to stay in dead-end jobs, toxic relationships, and stalled projects long after the expiration date.

We view quitting as a moral failing—a sign that we weren't strong enough. But in the world of high-level strategy, quitting isn't a failure. It’s an asset. It’s called cutting your losses.

The Sunk Cost Trap

Why is it so hard to walk away? Usually, it’s because of the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

This is the psychological glitch that tells you: "I can't stop now, I've already put three years into this." Or, "I can't close this business, I've invested too much money."

Your brain tries to protect your past investment by mortgaging your future. But a savvy CEO doesn't look at how much money was spent last year; they look at the ROI for next year. If a project is draining resources without a return, they kill it. They don't call it "giving up." They call it "strategic reallocation."

You need to become the CEO of your own life.

Grit vs. Stupidity

There is a fine line between perseverance and stubbornness.

• Perseverance is sticking with something difficult because the outcome is still valuable to you.

  
  

• Stubbornness is sticking with something difficult just to prove you can, even though you no longer want the outcome.

  
  

If you are climbing a mountain just because you started climbing it, but you no longer care about the view from the top, you aren't being gritty. You are being inefficient.

The Strategy: How to Quit Like an Executive

Quitting is a skill you can practice. It requires data, not drama.

1. The Audit: Hard vs. Wrong: Ask yourself: Is this just hard, or is it wrong? "Hard" means you are growing, but the alignment is there. "Wrong" means you are shrinking to fit a container that is too small. If your nervous system is constantly in fight-or-flight, it’s likely wrong.

2. The Rebrand: It’s a Pivot: Stop using the word "quit." It’s loaded with shame. Use the language of business. You are pivoting. You are course-correcting. You are evolving. When you change the language, you change the energy.

3. The Release: Quitting creates a vacuum. We fear the void, so we hold onto the wrong thing until the right thing comes along. But it rarely works that way. You usually have to let go first to create the space for what’s next.

The New Standard

The most successful people I know are actually excellent quitters. They quit habits that drain them. They quit clients who underpay. They quit strategies that stopped working five years ago.

Quitting isn't about weakness. It’s about having standards so high that you refuse to settle for things that no longer serve you.

So, look at that thing you’ve been dragging behind you out of obligation. The project, the role, the commitment. Is it time to push through? or is it time to cut the rope?