9PM thoughts on quiting.

2 minute read time

Today’s issue: she explores why people keep pushing through life's crap-show even when it feels like quitting is the only sane option.

I’m seriously scared you think I only post misery. So I tried to cobble together something positive, but let’s be honest — everyone has problems.

Maybe it’s agreeing on summer vacation or where your next paycheck is coming from. Who knows.

But I had a hellish week. Between learning I need hearing aide, my mothers health issues and my audiologist saying me I might not get help because of ‘bias’ aka code for racism. I fell apart.

So when I was in bed trying to pick up the pieces, I thought about the people I’ve met because of Twitter and asked:

“Why haven’t they quit?”

Not as some form of inspiration but genuine curiosity.

• One guy whose building a business in a country at war with a wife and toddler. Who is working towards a profitable business, but somehow finds a way to be positive and supportive almost effortlessly.

• Another with Crohns disease who was left in a hospital bed for 24 hours in crippling pain. He decides to come online with the purpose of help others, disappears for a few months in the woods to get his head straight, and now built a community and 2 months later has multiple 5-figure clients. All the while, he’s humble and wants support people.

• Or the mother who came online with the goal to retire her husband, joined as a teacher in a cohort amongst the biggest known writers on Twitter, then leaves to school her kids, figure out what she wants, and worked towards forgiving herself because it didn’t work out how she wanted.

  The list goes on, seriously.

Please don’t confuse my curiosity with romanticizing struggle though. There’s nothing beautiful or profound about it. It’s not like in the movies where problems are magically solved with the backdrop of some catchy pop song.

No, what strikes me is how they manage themselves in the suck. How anyone does for any problem.

Because if I’m honest with you, I’m in that era of not achieving for a whil. A lot of days I’m embarassed to say that out loud and I want to throw an ultimate pity party. But other days I’m happy because I’m okay with looking stupid while I learn and figure it out. Stressing myself out isn’t going to get me closer.

Between the story I’m in and the stories of some sick people — it makes me wonder if theres no actual secret to quitting and staying the course.

So now I’m asking you, why haven’t you quit?

No seriously, I’d like to know. Because it’s a choice you’re making when odds are there’s a choice that’s easier to make that you’re refusing because it doesn’t align with something. Or I’m projecting, who knows?

For me, today, it's delusional optimism and stubbornness. The feeling doesn’t exist every minute of the day, but most of the time — and I’ll take it.

But either way, convinced we should get at least a participation trophy. Just saying.

cool stuff

1. Two INSANE stories of people who don’t quit. I’m a fan of them both.

1. Project of the week: Since my interview fell through, I found a guy whose socials I WANT to do (Wil Schroter). So I’m created a deck of what I can do for him, how I’d approach it, and pieces he can test today. Here’s a slide:

   

   3. What I’m reading: This guy biked over 7,500 miles and documented every day. It’s interesting listening to someones life. He doesn’t try to be a thought leader or ‘expert’. Just a guy on a ride. I’ve been obsessed for months to be honest.

4. Sanity quotes: Now I need to Google and find out who this Tolstoy guy is and why I see his name all over the place.

"Giving yourself permission to be unhappy, It’s giving yourself permission to not achieve while you do for a long period of time.” - Alex Hormozi