Reaching a Milestone and Reframing Quitting

This episode marks the 60th of the podcast, a surprising milestone considering most podcasts fizzle out around episode 10. Illana celebrates this achievement and uses it to introduce the core theme: deciding when to stick with something or when to quit.

While societal pressure often pushes us to “finish everything,” quitting can be a valuable strategy. Illana references a previous episode exploring this concept and shares personal experiences with quitting.

Focus: Non-Client Business Initiatives

It’s important to clarify the specific context of this episode: evaluating when to quit non-client-related business initiatives. These are projects you undertake to promote yourself or your work, not projects directly tied to clients. Examples include unfinished books, podcasts with low listenership, or sporadic blog posts.

4 Core Questions for Evaluation

Illana outlines four key questions to guide your decision-making process:

1. Why did you start and what was the desired outcome? Aim for at least two areas of satisfaction (e.g., personal growth, financial gain) connected to your desired outcome. Having multiple areas of satisfaction provides better motivation during challenging phases. Consider aiming for three to four areas for increased resilience.

2. Why do you want to quit or stay? Be honest with yourself and verbalize your reasons. This can help identify underlying fears and self-doubt disguised as logical justifications. While fear and self-doubt are valid reasons to quit if overwhelming and detrimental to your mental health, self-awareness is crucial to avoid future regrets and starting new things. Illana offers guidance on how to constructively manage these emotions to learn and grow.

3. What are the tangible and intangible upsides of both options? Disregard the downsides for this exercise as they can be misleading and hinder clear decision-making. Instead, focus on identifying and comparing the upsides of quitting and staying. The list you find more appealing can offer valuable insights.

4. What do you actually want next in this area of your life? This straightforward question asks whether your progress aligns with your desired future. Even small progress can be significant if it leads towards your goals. Ultimately, continuing aligns with your initial desires and progress, while quitting signifies a misalignment.

Thanks for listening!