The Dip: The extraordinary benefits of knowing when to quit (and when to stick)

by Seth Godin

Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.

We reward the product or the song or the organization or the employee that is number one. The rewards are heavily skewed, so much so that it’s typical for #1 to get ten times the benefit of #10, and a hundred times the benefit of #100.

With limited time or opportunity to experiment, we intentionally narrow our choices to those at the top.

Best as in: best for them, right now, based on what they believe and what they know. And in the world as in: their world, the world they have access to.

Just about everything you learned in school about life is wrong, but the wrongest thing might very well be this: Being well rounded is the secret to success.

Twenty years ago, I read a book that changed my life. It was called The Magic of Thinking Big. I actually don’t remember anything about the book at all. What I do remember is that in one quick moment, it changed the way I thought about success.

Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations. Reactive quitting and serial quitting are the bane of those that strive (and fail) to get what they want. And most people do just that. They quit when it’s painful and stick when they can’t be bothered to quit.

can tell you that windsurfing is very easy—except for the wind.

The Dip is the reason you’re here. Whether you’re lifting weights or negotiating a sale or applying for a job or lunging for a tennis ball, you’ve made a huge investment. You’ve invested time and money and effort to get to this moment. You’ve acquired the equipment and the education and the reputation … all so you can confront this Dip, right now. The Dip is the reason you’re here.

Netflix gives you an unlimited number of DVD rentals a month, postage paid, for $10.

Lol

Quitting creates scarcity; scarcity creates value.

you can get through the Dip, if you can keep going when the system is expecting you to stop, you will achieve extraordinary results. People who make it through the Dip are scarce indeed, so they generate more value.

The next time you catch yourself being average when you feel like quitting, realize that you have only two good choices: Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers.

Don’t fall in love with a tactic and defend it forever. Instead, decide once and for all whether you’re in a market or not. And if you are, get through that Dip.

If You’re Not Going to Get to #1, You Might as Well Quit Now.

“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.” Now that’s good advice.

QUESTION 1: AM I PANICKING?

The best quitters, as we’ve seen, are the ones who decide in advance when they’re going to quit. You can always quit later—so wait until you’re done panicking to decide.

QUESTION 2: WHO AM I TRYING TO INFLUENCE?

QUESTION 3: WHAT SORT OF MEASURABLE PROGRESS AM I MAKING?