5 Valid Reasons To Quit Any Project, Book, Or Relationship

Our lives could be so much more comfortable if we didn’t try to finalize everything we start.

Too often, we get caught on something and ignore all other opportunities that come our way.

While being productive and getting things done are essential qualities, sometimes, the opposite is what we need.

From time to time, life is not about finishing projects but canceling them.

No matter if it’s a bad book, an unfulfilling project, or the wrong studies — you don’t need to complete them. You actually don’t need to do anything that doesn’t fulfill you. We all know we have a limited time to be alive. Why should we spend our precious time on stuff that doesn’t light up our soul?

As human beings, we hate incomplete tasks. Most people’s brains can’t rest when there’s work to do. That’s why we get crazy about finishing tasks and crushing our to-do lists, yet, that’s not always the smartest choice.

Sometimes, merely dropping a project is the better way to go.

Here are five common signs telling us when to quit a project:

1. You don’t enjoy it

I frequently meet people telling me life is not all about having fun and enjoying yourself.

Well, I say it is.

Of course, we sometimes face rough situations, and of course, some tasks or projects are simply hard to finish and still need to get done. But in general, life is indeed about having fun and enjoying yourself.

From a scientific point of view, the odds of being born are very close to zero. This means you, and I, and anyone else on this planet — we are all pure miracles.

We were gifted with this amazing, beautiful life and had the pleasure to wake up to another mesmerizing day. Yet, it’s up to us to make every day worth living.

Working on projects you don’t enjoy, surrounding yourself with people who harm you or staying at places that make you feel bad… all of these are a waste of your potential.

On average, we have 30,000 days to live. I honestly believe that’s enough to have a great time here, but it’s too little to waste even a single day.

If you find yourself doing stuff that annoys you, question whether you really want to continue or if you instead quit and look for things that spark your soul.

2. It feels ethically wrong

If you have a bad conscience about something, you’ll very likely regret it.

For me, feeling good is one of the core values of my life. And I can’t feel good if I know I am harming someone else.

No matter how big the rewards might be, if you don’t have a clean conscience about a project, the odds are significant, you will regret your actions.

Of course, everybody has his own perception of what is right and what isn’t. That’s why you should generally do a lot of self-reflection and get to know yourself and your core values.

“Hurting someone can be as easy as throwing a stone in the sea. But do you have any idea how deep that stone can go?”

3. You don’t grow and learn anymore

Another core lesson of my life is continuous growth combined with lifelong learning.

I believe life is all about growing and evolving into our very best versions.

Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

— Morihei Ueshiba

If a project, person, book, or whatsoever doesn’t help you evolve into a better version of yourself, giving up on it might be the more practical choice.

4. It neither serves you nor others

While helping others can be an excellent reason to keep going with a project, not influencing anybody’s life at all might be a reason to stop.

Nowadays, more and more people are striving for self-realization and for unleashing their full potential. Yet, most people are not selfish in their journey. Instead, they give their best to support others and help people in need.

Voluntary work is an important topic, and increasingly more people are starting to work with organizations that serve a higher purpose.

However, if you find yourself working on a project that doesn’t serve your needs or wants, and neither those of someone else, your motivation to continue might drop.

We all want to make a change. Most of us want to do meaningful work and leave a legacy on this planet. Thus, engaging with activities that don’t serve any useful purpose is no option for many people.

At the core, we want our work to be meaningful and appreciated. Thus, if nobody needs our work, our motivation, but also our performance drastically decreases.

5. It burdens you mentally or emotionally

Life is too short to worry too much. If something overwhelms you mentally or emotionally over a long period, it might be a great sign to pause and reflect on your situation.

With concerns going on in our heads, we can’t ever fulfill our highest potential, not to speak about serving and supporting other people.

The odds are high you won’t be able to give your best and perform well if you don’t have mental clarity about a project. No matter if the problem is your boss, the goal of a project itself, or the resources you need to fulfill a specific job, if it costs you too much energy, the best choice is certainly to let it go.

“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.”

– Napoleon Bonaparte