Just Give Up
I feel like quitting.
All the time.
Multiple times per week!
I'm being dead serious.
Like really any job, creative work can be incredibly frustrating:
1. During the day I can't always bring myself to produce everything I want to produce.
2. During the evening I'm too tired.
3. No one from Hollywood has shown up at my front door with a basket of mini-muffins...
(That last complaint might be exaggerated, but wouldn't that be nice?)
...So here comes the part where I pivot and talk about the virtues of perseverance, right?
No.
Forget that.
What's so bad about giving up?
Why does quitting have SUCH a stigma, when sometimes the smartest and healthiest thing to do is stop doing the thing that makes you miserable?
Hate the relationship you're in? Is your boss some sort of rude idiot?
You deserve better.
Get out.
Now listen, I'm not here to oversimplify the choice... There are MANY things that can get in the way of standing up and walking out of a relationship or job. MANY. And honestly, one of the most painful parts of quitting is the fear of finding something new. Sometimes its just easier to stay than face the unknown...
It's a case-by-case diagnosis.
But I believe quitting can be perfectly dignified. And I believe quitting can refer to anything...not just a job.
Beating yourself up because you're not working out as much as you should? You're not chasing your dreams? You're not as tidy as you ought to be?
There's strength in declaring "ENOUGH."
You owe it to yourself to invest in your own happiness.
For decades I've heard the classic advice "never ever ever give up." And I'm me, so I'm always thinking about entertainment work...
"Every time someone else quits, it pushes you up the ladder!"
"As long as you don't quit, there's a chance you'll be discovered."
...But then why do we mock the archetype of Los Angeles weirdos who are still clinging to their acting dreams in their 80's? They never gave up! Or is perseverance a bad thing when you hit a certain age?
...Seems like you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't...ANYWAY.
Ultimately, we're all responsible for our personal, professional, or mental well-being...
A lot of blogs/newsletters/whatever might try and teach you a lesson by the end, or give you a sturdy dose of motivation and positivity.
"Don't give up. Get out there and DO IT!"
The harder truth is that I think it's important to take a breath every once in a while. Look around. Feel how you feel.
If you decide to pack it up and move on: take pride.
If you decide to keep pushing forward: take pride.
And don't let anyone make you feel like a failure for whichever route you choose.
I'm constantly trying to evaluate how I feel. Constantly. So much that I'm sure its exhausting to my friends and family. I doubt there's anyone out there who doesn't think about throwing in the towel every now and then.
But we're all plagued by the same phrase in the back of our mind:
"Quitters never win."
Just don't forget that sometimes quitting is exactly the win you need.