SNAPlife: Is It Time To Quit, Change, or Keep Going? - s2e98

So, you started something. A business… A relationships… A training or education program…

Time passes and you find yourself wondering if you are wasting your time. Are you getting anywhere? Is the thing—the "it"—growing and developing the way you want it to?

If you find yourself in this situation, you need to stop. Don't make a decision based on a snap, emotional reaction to whats going on. There are a few things you need to do first.

Start off by reflecting on what your expectations were when you started. Maybe you thought it would be fun. Maybe you thought there was some intrinsic value to doing "it." Maybe you thought it would be a nice source of extra income. Maybe you just wanted a hobby.

You might have set goals. Maybe you wanted to have some level of sales. Maybe you thought you would have some degree of engagement.

But, with the passing of time, you can't see or you don't feel like you are making progress toward your goals.

The first thing to do is to sit down and reflect on why you started "it" in the first place. What were your expectations?

Next, you have to look at the data—what is the factual reality of the "it" in the current state. Don't base a decision to quit or change on a gut feeling or an emotional response. You need to, in the next step, have a reliable view of the current situation.

Next, compare your initial expectations to the current reality. How does it compare? Are you on track? Falling behind? Further than you actually thought? Don't confuse what you hoped for with what you actually expected! Before you give up or change, make sure you are comparing what you expected (different from what you hoped for) to what actually is happening!

Fourth, look at the current circumstances related to the "it." Has anything changed that made your expectations mute? Do you no longer have time for the fun you wanted to have? Maybe it just isn't as fun as you thought! Do you no longer have extra money or capital to run your start-up? Did your values or ambitions change? Has anything changed that nullifies the reasons that prompted you into starting the "it" in the first place? If so, maybe it is time to quit.

Alternately, maybe it is time to change. If things have changed but the "it" is still valid, perhaps you just need to alter what you are doing to fit the new situation.

Stop and be careful before you decide to quit or change. Maybe you need to keep your original reasons and expectations in mind and just keep going.