“You can always quit, why quit now?” These are words that Robert Kiyosaki’s rich dad told him.
Last week I reread “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. I’m coming up with my own summer reading list for my kids and wanted to read it again to see if I should add that one. Instead, I got great advice for myself, just at the time I needed it.
I’m part of a small rural church that has been talking about a building project for a long time. Wisely or foolishly, the verdict is still out, I volunteered to chair the committee that’s going to figure out what kind of project to do. Arrogantly, I figured that I have the talent and skill to manage a group of dedicated people, navigate the conflicting ideas and desires, and arrive at a collective agreement on a project.
The first part of the year went very well. Recently, it felt like the wheels fell off. We’re just weeks before a vote on the first stage of the project.
The details don’t matter, but every day last week I thought to myself that I should just quit. I’m very good a rationalizing and justifying. I’m busy. Everyone knows that. I travel a lot for work, so I’m not around much. They’d understand. Most people know that this discussion has been ongoing unsuccessfully for a long time, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it still doesn’t work. Most people get that there are many different ideas of what kind of project should be done, so how could anyone figure out a path for everyone to agree on? It was a fool’s errand. Building projects are expensive. We can’t spend a lot, so people would understand that now just isn’t the right time.
I’ve heard some form of excuses from many people at church over the last few years. They would understand if the results didn’t change now.
Then I reread Kiyosaki.
“You can always quit, why quit now?”
Why quit now?
What a great question. For me, this phrase has become the adult version of “the Little Engine that Could”, a favorite story of mine when I was a kid.
It’s not an inspiring line like “I think I can, I think I can”, but it takes the pressure off.
The email message doesn’t have to be the best. The group doesn’t have to be in complete consensus all the time. People mean well, and maybe some were afraid to say what they thought earlier, but wanted to get it out before it was too late.
Personally, I like “sleep on it” better than “don’t go to bed angry or upset”. My thoughts get in a frenzy sometimes to the point that I’d only make a bad decision if forced to decide. Sometimes I have to sleep on it, sometimes for many days in order for the calm to prevail.
Why quit now?
There was nothing on any day last week that made quitting better than the next day. So I stuck with it for another day, then another, then another.
I haven’t quit yet. The pause however, has helped me put things into perspective. I thought about the people on the committee and how I’m learning from them. I thought about my leadership style, and how I can improve. I have ideas of where to go from here.
I haven’t quit yet. I can always do it tomorrow.
Image by Jonny Lindner from Pixabay