When Quitting is the Courageous (and Right) Choice
Grit is good. And so is knowing when to walk away.
Have you ever found yourself torn between quitting something you’re dreading and forcing yourself to see it through?
Sometimes, sticking it out is a sign of grit. But other times, it's a trap.
The sunk cost fallacy is the belief that because you’ve already invested time, money, or energy into something, you have to keep going—even if it no longer serves you.
Imagine spending weeks building out a presentation deck for a leadership initiative that’s no longer a strategic priority. You know it’s unlikely to be used—but you keep pouring in hours because you’ve already spent so much time on it.
That’s sunk cost thinking. The past investment is gone. The question we have to ask ourselves when this happens is “does it make sense to continue?”
TRY THIS
The next time you feel that pull—where your gut/brain says “stop,” but your guilt (or your manager) says “keep going,” try reverse timeboxing.
Instead of saying “I’ll finish this by X” or “I’ll keep going until it looks like Y”
Set a minimum time limit — e.g., “I’ll give this 60 focused minutes.”
Let go of the outcome — don’t aim to finish; just engage fully and give it your best during that time.
Reassess after the timer — ask yourself: Is this still worth pursuing right now?
Even if you have to finish the task, this approach reduces the drag—it takes the pressure off and helps your brain either reengage with purpose or pivot with less guilt.
Thank you for reading and wishing you a successful week.
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Warmly,
Scott Henderson