Controversial as it may read, but it is the truth, plain & simple. If you are trying to do something and not getting the desired results, it may be a good idea to give it up rather than wasting your time, money & energy. It is no good throwing your good money after bad money especially in business or spend your time & energy trying to prop up a lost cause. Of course, I don’t mean just give up if something is not working for you. You need to consider all the options, talk to someone like friends, parents or a mentor, weigh all the pros or cons of your decision before giving it up.
There are several examples from the world of business where the owners / managers hung on to a company trying to turn it around or stuck with a failed product too long with disastrous results. Instead of euthanizing the company or dumping the product, they have ended in bankruptcy.
But let us look at some successful example of giving up:
On 26th May 1953, Tom Bourdillion & Charles Evans had to turn back from the South Summit of Everest at 1.00 p.m., just 300 feet short of the real summit. If they had not turned back, they may have reached the summit, but would not have come back alive. To put things into proper perspective, on 29th May Hillary & Tensing on their successful attempt, were at the South Summit at 9.00 a.m.
If you follow cricket, you will sometime see a fielder give up chasing a ball if he feels that he will not be able to stop it before it reaches the boundary. He knows his chase is going to be futile & all he will end up doing is expending his energy.
In military parlance giving up is called “tactical retreat" and indeed in your life it is just a tactical retreat and not a permanent loss. Cut your losses and use your available resources optimally to make a new beginning.
