Nature is a great teacher

It is said that Robert the Bruce , the Scottish King who fought the First War of Independence from England way back in the 14th Century was hiding in a cave when he saw a spider succeeding in making his web on his third attempt. This is a perfect example of the proverb “If at first you don’t succeed, try try try again”.

Unfortunately, I have never been in a situation where I had to watch a spider for hours and perhaps I am a natural born quitter because there are any number of projects that I’ve started and abandoned.

It was no wonder that I was attracted to a book called QUIT: THE POWER OF KNOWING WHEN TO WALK AWAY.

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE 2022

Although this book has been around for quite a while, I came across it only early this year because I had literally abandoned my passion for reading. Having reclaimed it once again, I decided to read at least two books a month.

Why should you quit

Having grown up on the principle that quitting is for cowards and that sticking to a goal will ultimately end in success, it comes as a surprise that Annie Duke advises us to quit.

But Annie herself is an accomplished Poker player and knows the importance of quitting at the right time.

That is a point most of us forget.

Very often, we start a dream project whose paradigms change unexpectedly. At such a time, should we stay the course, change or just merely quit?

When the chances of succeeding seem bleak, it makes most sense to quit.

Success does not lie in sticking to things. It lies in picking the right thing to stick to and quitting the rest.

Annie Duke

Ego is normally the reason why we insist on persisting but it is important to know when to listen to one’s ego and when to listen to one’s instinct.

why you should read this book

Many books of no-fiction can be factual and boring but Annie’s breezy style make reading this book a pure delight. Using examples from different fields, she shows us how quitting at the right time can have a better outcome rather than persisting and meeting disaster.

So go for this book. You won’t regret it.

Ciao.