Why I'm Okay With Being A Quitter (And You Should Be, Too)

Ever since I graduated college, I've been quitting things. Yep, I'm a big fat quitter. Let's start at the beginning... Even when I was still in undergrad at the University of Illinois, I knew deep down that being a music educator wasn't going to be for me. I saw my peers passionately ace their conducting exams and get fired up about pedagogy. While I enjoyed what I was doing (and I LOVED playing), I just didn't see the same fire in myself that I saw in my classmates.

I told myself that I was going to stick with it, I've come so far; after all, music is my passion! But when I finally graduated in 2008 and the teaching market (especially for music) was thin, I bounced from maternity leave to paternity leave with no full-time gig in sight. It was then that I realized I didn't love this career enough to fight for more long-term sub jobs. It didn't excite me like it once did, and really, that's just not fair to the kids - to have a teacher who's lukewarm about their subject. They deserve someone who's going to be all-in.

So just like that, I left my baton behind and I quit.

That summer I found a job as a personal trainer. Kind of an odd switch, but I love fitness and thought it would be an interesting summer job. It turned into over a year of working with great clients and having a lot of fun doing it.

But when the schedule (clients at 5am and 9pm in the same day) got hectic and I found myself in a serious relationship, I wanted a normal (read: 9-5) life again. Plus, the stress of selling and making commissions each month wasn't what I wanted; I just wanted to train people and help them succeed. So I quit.

During that time, I had been kickboxing. It started as an exercise routine for me as I'd loved doing Tae Bo and "actually wanted to hit something" (apparently I have issues), but then it turned competitive when I stepped into the ring as an amateur fighter. I had one fight. I lost. And so I quit. (Just kidding - there were a number of reasons I left that gym.) But either way... I quit.

Also during that time, I'd started up a side business as a Mary Kay beauty consultant. It was a phenomenal business opportunity, and you all know I love playing with makeup. I met a lot of extremely smart and talented women through my Mary Kay business. But in the end, after 6 years of "trying" to make it work for me, I made the tough realization that other things in life were more important to me. So... I quit.

All of these "quitting" experiences sound an awful lot like I came up with excuses. I didn't like it, my schedule was too tight, or I simply wasn't good enough.

But what I've come to learn and understand is that sticking with something - simply for the sake of not quitting - is not always the best thing. If I never quit, there wouldn't be room for new experiences.

At one point, I read the following (very wise) quote:

Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.

In the case of my education career, it was no longer making me happy. As a personal trainer, the schedule was no longer serving my needs. Kickboxing was no longer growing me as an athlete (nor was it growing my bank account). Mary Kay was taking up what little spare time I had to myself - and therefore no longer making me happy.

So you see, although I once viewed my "quitting" experiences as failures, I now see that these things were simply not needed in my life anymore. They served me well during that chapter of my life, but it came time to turn the page. Another chapter is waiting.

My challenge to you is this: what's no longer serving you, growing you, or making you happy? Is there something you need to turn the page on? You might never know what lies ahead.