I'm NOT a quitter! As a competitive athlete I was taught to push through pain and grit my teeth to make it to the finish line. It was that grit and determination that would earn the approval of my pears and make my coaches proud of me (to be honest, my desire for approval is a fierce as my grit!) There was a part of me that thrived on being seen this way. It made me feel good but, more importantly, I wanted others to see that I was good enough. Because inside I believed I wasn't, so quitting wasn't an option. My inner critic (and our society!) was constantly telling me quitting is weak. But what if that's a lie? What if this Lie, one that I've been believing for years, has been pushing me farther from my Self and silencing my truest Power - my inner wisdom & guidance.
In 30 plus years of running competitively I have only quit two races - one because I was having an allergic reaction and the other because I was heading towards running all night in rain and risking hypothermia.
What I've learned since quitting my corporate job (TWICE) and pursuing a career of helping women connect with their Power, is that knowing when to call it quits is one of the most powerful tools. The truth is, I probably stayed in my corporate job way beyond my time I wasn't listening inside when I was uninspired and exhausted. I would push through, get up at 3:00 in the morning for a 6 AM flight for a meeting that I was dreading at 11:00 AM on the East Coast. I would ignore my aching body, just like I did in running. I was ignoring my Self in my commitment to my grit.
Hear me out…there are situations when quitting is what we should do like:
... walking away from the job that is making you feel depleted everyday
... ending the relationship that isn't serving you
... letting go of the limiting belief that you need to grit through the pain to be worthy
... saying NO to our culturally enforced Busyness Addiction
... not pushing myself beyond exhaustion ...
What we want to do is start to listen to ourselves, our bodies, our inner wisdom. I do this with my Advanced Leadership Coaching groups, where women walk away as more confident leaders - at work and at home. I'm going to be gold bold and give you permission to quit whatever is holding you back, and instead make room to:
Love yourself more deeply
Say no and create boundaries
Put yourself first without guilt
Allow yourself to rest and listen to your inner guidance