The Key to Success is Knowing When to Quit – And When to Hang On
“Never, never, never give up.” – U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, on October 29, 1941, as World War II raged through Europe
Winston Churchill was a strong believer that persistence is everything and that the secret to success is constancy of purpose.
However, the validity of his aforementioned words is based on the assumption that the idea he was fighting for (namely, the defense of the United Kingdom) was completely valid and correct, with no fundamental errors in the premise that could appear in the conclusion – and that the light at the end of the tunnel was not an oncoming train.
Of course, if these conditions aren’t met, quitting can be the most intelligent strategy to consider.
This article isn’t about Sir Winston or WWII. It’s about how you view and react to business challenges. It’s about operating your laundromat and not quitting when the going gets tough, complicated or makes you anxious.
Situations of this nature arise all the time for laundry owners. Here are some common examples:
Attendant Issues – Let’s assume that one particular laundry attendant is extremely frustrating for you to deal with, but has great skills and a strong rapport with your customers. In this example, it’s important to put yourself second. Have a positive discussion with this employee about what is bothering you – but with the idea of resolving any issues and strengthening the relationship. Simply because this individual upsets you or makes you uncomfortable may not be a good enough reason for you to dismiss this person. In other words, don’t quit!
Landlord Problems – In this case, let’s say that you and the landlord simply don’t like each other, arguing frequently on numerous issues. However, perhaps if you go to dinner together with the idea of resolving your differences, it’s possible you’ll leave the restaurant with mutual respect for each other. Since your location is great, it would be a grave and expensive experience for you to have to move your laundromat business just to get away from your landlord. In other words, don’t quit!
Marketing Missteps – Your last few marketing campaigns haven’t turned out well at all. They were expensive and yielded no significant results. At this point, you consult with some marketing experts, or you have a heart-to-heart talk with yourself about the quality of your business’ advertising campaigns – or both. No matter what, you make some needed changes. However, you don’t quit!
Selling Your Laundry Business – This is a biggie. Often, laundry owners become so frustrated with the events of the day that they mutter under their breath, “Time to sell. I’m so fed up. I’m outta here.”
No, you don’t really want to sell. It’s just a frustrating moment in time. We all have them. Never make a large permanent decision based on a temporary emotion. Don’t quit!
As you can guess, there are several situations where the emotionality of the circumstances prompts you to think about firing an employee, moving your laundromat in favor of another landlord, forgoing marketing altogether, or even getting out of the industry. In reality, many small-business owners react that way and get themselves into even more difficulty. So, don’t quit!
The Psychology of Quitting
Now, let’s look at how you can train yourself to stay emotionally calm and to turn off that part of your mind when those tedious and annoying moments occur. Instead of giving into your emotions, the solution is to understand the psychology of quitting – and to never quit in anger a situation that is fundamentally valid and correct.
When you consider all of the decisions you’ll make during your career, you’ll understand why it’s important to learn to become a better, more selective quitter.
If quitting is inevitable as a means to keep moving forward, embrace it. The true art of quitting in order to progress your career or business boils down to knowing the right time to quit. The saying, “Quitters never win, and winners never quit,” is a bit of a fallacy. Winners quit all the time – they simply now what to quit and when to do it.
It can take months or even years to know when to quit, and the desire can build over time. However, lacking confidence in your decision to quit a specific thing can cause anxiety or regret. You need some certainty to drive you to where you need to be.
In some ways, attachment is good. It means you care and have some incentive to stick with it. But, to your detriment, it also can make the decision to quit much more difficult, even when it’s the right thing to do.
Cutting ties with groups, employees or projects you have a stake in or an emotional connection to is difficult, because it’s personal. Of course, this is especially true when it’s your own business. That’s your baby.
However, it’s also true that not every personal initiative is worth your time, unless you’re learning something and it’s somehow beneficial to your main career focus.
Many commitments can be fulfilling in ways you never anticipated. If that’s the case, it pays to stick with them and not jump ship right away. This can be true even when some aspects don’t live up to what you had hoped. Be adaptive with your goals.
If you have doubts about the current circumstances, but your top priorities are being met, being consciously aware of this fact will help you to deal with any potential, short-term tradeoffs. It’s surprising how resilient you can be through any setbacks or challenges along the way, even when working with difficult issues, employees and decisions.
When you focus on the bigger picture, you don’t get to wound up by short-term events. Your long-term values are what motivate you – and, if it becomes clear that the long term looks bleak, then you should cut your losses.
Focus on the long term. Determine whether current circumstances have the potential to change for the better, because it might not be worth quitting over short-term issues.
Once you get into the habit of quitting, it can prove irresistible because there are psychological “exit signs” everywhere, telling you it’s easier to quit than to hang on. But, as much pain and discomfort as you may be going through in certain situations, you need to avoid being a business owner who makes a habit of quitting. Developing that type of track record doesn’t go unnoticed, and soon others will find it hard to trust your commitments.
In moments of doubt, the worst thing you can do is “hurry up and quit.” It pays to take a little time to contemplate the true reasons behind why you feel like quitting. Ask yourself questions based upon your benchmarks; if you don’t have any, here are a few to get you started:
- Are you learning anything?
- Are you inspired?
- Are you proud of what you’re doing?
The truth is that no man-made commitment can fulfill our needs or potential forever. Each and every commitment is just a promise, not a guarantee. It can be exciting to know we have the freedom to go in another direction.
When owning a laundromat, you will inevitably be involved in disputes and spirited conversations with employees, suppliers, landlords and just about anyone else you deal with on a regular basis.
In most scenarios, put yourself second emotionally and resolve the situations on an intellectual level. By doing so, you’ll most likely clear up the issues and establish a strong, lasting relationship with the individuals involved.
It’s easy to fire employees, threaten to move your store, view marketing as a foolish and expensive waste of time, or decide to sell or close down your business. But don’t quit! In nearly all of those circumstances, you will regret what you’ve said or done.
If you follow Churchill’s example, you’ll not only win the war, but you’ll also learn a lot in the process and end up with a far more successful laundry business.
